7th July. Moved camp 3 miles down Nonda Creek (northward) to where water was plentiful. CAMP 8.
8th July. Moved 6 miles NNW. down Nonda Creek. CAMP 9. (SEE MAP G.)
9th July. NONDA CREEK was crossed from the left bank to the right after it had been followed down for 2 miles NNW. of Camp 9. Four miles north of the crossing, Hann reached a river, with a sandy bed over a quarter of a mile wide, which he named the WALSH after the Hon. W. H. Walsh, Minister for Works and Goldfields. He crossed the river and camped on its north, or right bank. CAMP 10 was about 2 miles down the river from where the Palmerville-Junction Creek TELEGRAPH LINE now crosses. The Walsh River is, no doubt, the creek on which KENNEDY camped on 23rd August, 1848, about 3 miles below the mouth of Eureka Creek. It drains tin, copper, lead and silver-bearing country extending from Watsonville in the east to Arbouin in the west, a distance of 80 miles. 1
The loth July was given to prospecting (which was unsuccessful) in the neighbourhood of Camp 10. On nth, 12th and i$th July, Hann, with Taylor and Jerry, rode up the valley of the Walsh. They appear to have penetrated as far as MOUNT REDCAP, a distance of about 27 miles to east by south. This conjecture is based not so much on the diary and accompanying map as on the nature of the country described, which is exactly such as would be encountered in a journey of the distance and in the direction indicated. The early part of the journey was marked by mica-schist rising into hills capped by horizontal sandstone. Towards Redcap were the hills of MAGNETIC IRON ORE and LIMESTONE which became familiar objects to me a few years later. The party, having recrossed to the right bank of the river, returned to CAMP 10 on I4th July and found " everything safe and in order." A few NATIVES were seen on this excursion, but they ran away in haste.
On i$th July, the expedition moved 5 miles NW. down the river and camped (CAMP n) on the right bank of the WALSH opposite what is now the NW. boundary of Blackdown pastoral run. For the last 2 miles of this stage they had been on " a limestone formation similar to that on the Barcoo and Upper Flinders": in fact in the " ROLLING DOWNS " OR LOWER CRETACEOUS FORMATION. A collection of FOSSILS, including Ichthyosaurian vertebrae, was made by Taylor, a few being carried on and the remainder buried beneath the ashes of the camp fire.
On i6th July, the camp was moved 9 miles NW. down the Walsh, CAMP 12. Some huts were seen during the day and NATIVES
1 See Geological Survey of Queensland, Publication No. 119, viz. " Report on the Tin Mines of Watsonville and Various Tin, Silver, Copper and Gold Mines at Herberton, Montalbion, Irvinebank, Muldiva, Calcifer, Chillagoe, California Creek, the Tate River, etc.," by Sydney B. J. Skertchley. Brisbane, by Authority, 1897.
