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September 1861

Journal of Mr Walker from the day he left Macintosh's Station, on the Nogoa,
to that of his arrival at the Albert River, Gulf of Carpentaria.

London, Journal of the Royal Geographical Society, Volume 33, 1863.

Frederick Walker took a party of his native troopers with him from Rockhampton to Charles B. Dutton's Bauhinia Downs, on the Dawson River, where the expedition was finally organised on 7 September 1861.

The Nogoa Riyer was reached on the 16th, after which he pushed on through Walker's Pass to the River Nivelle. By the 27th he made the Barcoo, which was followed down for three days, during which traces of both Leichhardt and Gregory were found.

Sunday 15 September 1861.
On the 15th September, left Mr Macintosh's station on a creek flowing into the Nogoa, which I crossed on the 19th, and then went to the north to hit Poma, which tributary of the Claude takes its rise at my pass over the main range; this is a great detour, but by this means I avoided the dense brigalow scrub which intervenes between the Nogoa River and Salvator Lake and the pass.

Friday 20 September 1861.
On the 20th we reached the beautiful Emerald Downs, on Poma Creek...

Saturday 21 September 1861.
... camped there the 21st ...

Monday 23 September 1861 [Camp 3].
... and arrived at the foot of the pass [Walker's Pass] and my old camp on the 23rd; the grass had caught fire from my camp, and was now a fine sward.

Wednesday 25 September 1861 [Camp 4].
We camped on the Nivelle the 25th. My first marked tree is on Emerald Downs, as that was new ground to me.

Thursday 26 September 1861 [Camp 5].
The 26th we pushed down to the Nive, about 5 miles above my old No. 11 camp.

Friday 27 September 1861 [Camp 6].
The next day, 27th, crossed over to the Victoria, and camped (No. 6) below my No. 29 tree.

Saturday 28 September 1861 [Camp7].
On the 28th, 29th, and 30th, pushed down the Victoria by fair stages ...

Sunday 29 September 1861 [Camp 8].
On the 28th, 29th, and 30th, pushed down the Victoria by fair stages ...

Monday 30 September 1861 [Camp 9].
On the 28th, 29th, and 30th, pushed down the Victoria by fair stages ...

1-6 October 1861 [Camp 10].
... and on the morning of the 7th October found Camp 10 was in long. 146° 1' E., lat. 24° 34' S. Whilst camped here we searched for the L tree seen by Gregory; but as we had seen his 22nd (XXII) tree on the north bank, we searched on the same for the L tree and it was not until the 5th Jingle and Mr Haughton found it on the south bank. In the meanwhile I had found another L tree 2 miles below our camp on north side, and 7 below the tree seen by Gregory. I looked for an open road NNW, but was checked by a dense, almost impenetrable scrub of acacia. Mitchell calls this acacia 'brigalow,' but that is incorrect, for it differs much from it, and I have seen but two or three real brigalow since we crossed the ridge dividing the Nive watershed from that of the Victoria. The blacks call this acacia 'gurrt.' Brigalow they call 'noorwool.' ...

7 October 1861 [Camp 10].
... A little below the second L tree, I found I could pass round the termination of this scrub. I surmise that Leichhardt intended leaving the Victoria at the tree seen by Gregory; was stopped in his NNW course by the same barrier encountered by me, and turned back to camp at the tree found by me, subsequently clearing the scrub where I rounded it. His track, if he had dry weather, would, on this basaltic soil, be soon obliterated.

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