Journal of Landsboroughs Expedition from Carpentaria | Page 5

Wales and Queensland; the trees that we saw are all small; but as sheep
do best in Australia where the temperature is dry, the soil rich, and
slightly timbered, and as this is the general description, I believe, of the
country and climate of the Albert River, the sheep farmer should be
willing to put up with the inconvenience caused from the want of good
timber for building purposes.
We saw large quantities of the small white cockatoos, and the
rose-coloured ones, which are to be found only in the inland settled
country of New South Wales and Queensland. The Albert River being
navigable will make the country on its banks very valuable, as I believe
sheep will do well on it, more especially as they do well on
inferior-looking country within the tropics to the north-west of
Rockhampton.
Allow me to recommend for the depot which you propose forming with
the Firefly hulk on the Albert River some place as convenient as

possible to Woods Lake, or the waterhole that I mentioned that I had
found near the head of the navigation, and as there is very little forage
on board the Firefly it would be advisable to land, as soon as possible,
the horses on the west bank of the river above the second inlet, that is,
if there is any chance of the Firefly being delayed in proceeding up the
river.
I have the honour to be, etc.,
(Signed) W. LANDSBOROUGH,
Commander of the Victorian and Queensland Land Expedition.
...
(NUMBER 3.)
BRISBANE PARTY, W. LANDSBOROUGH, ESQUIRE, LEADER.
CONTINUATION OF REPORT ON THE ALBERT RIVER, ETC.
OCTOBER 15TH 1861.
(COPY.)
Albert River, Gulf of Carpentaria, October 15 1861.
To Captain Norman of H.M.C.S. Victoria, and Commander-in-chief of
the Northern Expedition Parties.
Sir,
I have the honour to inform you that the senior lieutenant of H.M.C.S.
Victoria, having been commissioned by you to take the Firefly hulk to
the head of the navigation of the Albert River to form a depot there,
shortly after midnight of the 14th October, at the flood of the tide,
which occurs here only once in twenty-four hours, we stood in for the
mouth of the river and, as the channel is of a winding character, and the
ship almost unmanageable, we had to take her right over the bar. From

thence we proceeded some time after daylight with a fair wind, several
miles up the river to where we took grass on board, which some of my
party, having preceded us, had in readiness. On the 16th, from the time
of the tide, the wind being unfavourable, we had reached no further
than Norman's Group of Islands, which are about ten miles in a straight
line from the mouth of the river. At that place, from the small quantity
of water on board it became necessary to decide on what bank the
horses should be landed; consequently three parties started in search of
water--a boat and two land parties. The former, under the command of
Mr. Frost, found a good pond of water near the lowest water we had
found when we first explored the Albert River. In the same
neighbourhood Mr. Campbell's party, who went up the west bank of the
river, found another waterhole, which was distant from the ship, by the
road they went, about four miles, and passable for the horses, although
partly over mudflats which during high tides are covered with water;
and on that account I thought, having observed the country to be very
low from the masthead, it would be impassable.
I accompanied Mr. Bourne, Mr. Hennie the botanist, and two native
police-troopers to the eastward in search of water. In that direction we
went about six miles, which was further than was necessary as we
found water within that distance. The first three miles we went was
chiefly over hard flats which at high tides are covered with water; the
next was over such good country that Mr. Bourne, although I had given
him my account of the Plains of Promise, said he did not expect to have
seen such fine country on the Albert River. The character of the country
is plains with the best grasses on them. Mr. Bourne and I agreed in
thinking that the lowest of them (with the exception of there being on
them no cotton and cabbage saltbush) resembled in appearance, and
from their having salty herbage in abundance, some parts of the
Murrumbidgee plains. The higher parts are more thickly grassed and
are slightly wooded with stunted timber, consisting of box, apple,
white-gum, cotton, and other trees. The cotton-trees I had never seen
before; but Mr. Hennie told me they had been found by Dr. Mueller
when in Mr. Gregory's party in the expedition to Northern Australia.
On this