followed the left bank of the creek. After skirting the scrub for
half a mile to the west till we found that we had penetrated to
the end of a " pocket," Crosbie and Layland went ahead to look
for open country. They penetrated the scrub for about a mile
to NNE. and E. and got away to the east for about half a mile
through open country. When they returned it was too late in
the day to cut the scrub for the questionable advantage of getting
away for half a mile to the east. We followed the creek down
(2 miles) and camped at CHENIUM. (CAMP 74.)
Our FLOUR having been EXHAUSTED to-night, I should have pushed on for Somerset on foot to-morrow, but that the prospectors had a surplus and were kind enough to share it with us. They gave us seven pannikins, which provided us with subsistence for a day and a half.
April 3. Resolved to cut our way down to the beach, we left Camp 74, and passing the site of Camp 73, kept for half a mile down the pocket to the south-east and a quarter of a mile through the SCRUB in the same direction, when we passed a SWAMP on the left. In a quarter of a mile to the east we emerged from the scrub, and crossed a fourth-magnitude creek running to the south- east, probably the outlet of the bog to the north-east of Chenium.
In a quarter of a mile east through open country we reached a BOG with mangroves on its further side. When we had run the bog up for a mile to the north-east, we had to cross from the right to the left bank of the creek of the fourth magnitude, just above the mangroves. We REACHED THE BEACH in I mile to the east, at a point which bore due west of the black beacon on Z Reef, and about 7 MILES FROM SOMERSET, which we reached about four o'clock. MR. FRANK JARDINE made us heartily welcome, and in a few days of good living and cheerful society we forgot the hardships of our tedious journey.
On the 5th of April I LEFT SOMERSET, accompanied by Love and Charlie, for THURSDAY ISLAND. The English mail steamer " Bowen " picked us up on the 8th, and we reached TOWNSVILLE on the 1 2th. Macdonald was left behind in charge of the horses. The prospectors also stayed till they should receive instructions from Brisbane. The PROSPECTORS and MACDONALD left Somerset on the 26th by the " Corea" with all the horses.
The GEOLOGICAL STRUCTURE of the Cape York Peninsula is exceedingly simple. The backbone or dividing ridge of the Peninsula, which lies close to the eastern sea-board, consists almost entirely of granite derived from the metamorphism of slates and greywackes (the equivalents of the auriferous rocks of the Palmer River). This granite " backbone " rises into lofty mountains in the Mcllwraith, Macrossan, Janet and Carron Ranges. The ranges are generally flanked by little-altered rocks.
This high ground has formed the shore of the vast sheet of water
