every camp where there was timber, Mr. Jardine cut (or caused to be
cut) its number with a chisel into the wood of a tree, in Roman
numerals, and his initials generally in a shield.

'October' 14.--The distance travelled to-day was only 11 miles, but
described by Mr. Jardine, as equal to 20 of fair travelling ground.
The course lay over very stony quartz and granite ridges, which could
not be avoided, as they ran into the river, whilst the bed of the
stream would have been as difficult, being constantly crossed by
rocky bars, and filled by immense boulders. The grass was very
scarce, the blacks having burnt it all along the river. There were
patches where it never grows at all, presenting the appearance of an
earthern floor. They encamped at the junction of Canal Creek, under
the shade of some magnificent Leichhardt trees ('Nauclea
Leichhardtii') that grow there, without other water than what they
dug for in the sandy bed, and reached at a depth of two feet. On the
opposite side and about a mile from the junction there is a swamp,
splendidly grassed, which looked like a green barley field, but the
water was too salt for the horses to drink, an unusual thing in
granite country. The timber of the ridges was cheifly stunted hollow
iron-bark, that of the river, bloodwood, and the apple-gum, described
as so good for forging purposes; there was a total absence of those
tall well-grown gums, by which the course of a stream may usually be
traced from a distance. So little was the river defined by the
timber that it could not be distinguished at a half-a-mile away.

'October' 15.--The party moved to-day as far as the swamp mentioned
on the 19th September. It received the name of "Cawana Swamp," and
is described as the best and prettiest camping place they had yet
seen. It is surrounded by the high stoney range called Jorgensen's