Page:Northmost Australia volume 2.djvu/32

Rh of the sun, which would naturally be less reliable than an observation of a star. (SEE MAP H.)

The MITCHELL was then traced down to its junction with the LYND, where Leichhardt first struck the Mitchell in 1845, 19 miles west of the mouth of the Walsh. The latitude of the junction (by a sun observation) is given as 16 23' S. The modern map makes it 16 28'.

Hann notes that "the moment the Mitchell joins the Lynd, it enters on the WRETCHED description of COUNTRY of the latter, which at the junction bears the same character as seen by us further up." This refers to the country between Hann's Camp 2 and Camp 5, which, so far as can be made out from expressions scattered among phrases condemnatory of the roughness of the " abominable stony ridges," appears to have consisted of mica- and hornblende-schist and granite with dykes of greenstone and quartz reefs.

Hann further notes that although he had no doubt of the identity of his river with LEICHHARDT'S MITCHELL (and there is no doubt) it was considerably south of the position assigned to it by Leichhardt's sketch-map. His own latitude was, however, about 5 miles too far north.

The lower portion of the valley of the Lynd may be country of a " wretched description," as observed by Hann, but he carried away a wrong impression in believing that the whole valley was similar to that between his second camp and his fifth. Leichhardt shows that the granites, gneisses and mica- schists of the Upper Lynd are replaced in the lower part of the valley by horizontal sandstones, and under the latter the Rolling Downs Formation is probably buried. (SEE MAP G.) Hann's return to Camp 14 was accomplished in two days. From the incomplete details furnished by the " Diary " and map, the route from the junction of the Lynd and Mitchell was : NE. 2 miles, E. 12 miles to a lagoon (Camp of 22nd July), NE. 10 miles, E. 5 miles, SE. 14 miles to the right bank of the Mitchell and E. up the Mitchell to CAMP 14. If my charting is correct the party must have headed SODA SPRINGS and LAGOON CREEKS. All was well at the camp. Early in the morning of 23rd July a camp of native women and children was seen by the travellers.

The whole party moved 9 miles NNE. UP THE MITCHELL on 2^th July and camped on the left (south-eastern) bank. CAMP 15. The limits of the LOWER CRETACEOUS AREA had been passed, as a bar of mica-schist ran across the river at the camp. On the following day (2.$th July) the party pushed 8 miles further up the river, with considerable difficulty owing to the roughness of the country, and camped, with the object of exploring the upper reaches of the Mitchell before resuming the journey to the north. CAMP 16 must have been about where the TELEGRAPH LINE now crosses the