[Illustration.  Ernest Favenc.]

In 1878, a project for a railway line on the land-grant principle between Brisbane and Port Darwin was originated in the former city.  The proprietor of the leading Brisbane newspaper, Gresley Lukin, organized and equipped a party to explore a suitable line of country, the object being to ascertain the nature and value of the land in the neighbourhood of the proposed line, and the geographical features of the unexplored portion.  The leader was Ernest Favenc, who was accompanied by surveyor Briggs, G. Hedley, and a black boy.  They left Cork station on the Diamantina, and kept a north-west course through the untraversed country between that river and the Georgina, or Herbert, as it was then called.  They then crossed the border into South Australia, and struck the creek which Buchanan had found, and to which the name of Buchanan’s Creek was now given.  Leaving this creek at the lowest water, the party struck north, and, after finding two large but shallow lakes, came, in the midst of most excellent pastoral country, to a fine lagoon which they named the Corella Lagoon.  The trees on the banks of this lagoon, which was about four miles long, were at the time of the visit white with myriads of corella parrots; hence the name.  Some three hundred natives were assembled at this lagoon to celebrate their tribal rites; but they showed a friendly disposition.

From the Corella Lagoon the expedition proceeded north and discovered a large creek running from east to west.  It proved to be one of the principal creeks of that region, and was named Cresswell Creek; and a permanent lagoon on it was named the Anthony Lagoon.  Cresswell Creek was followed down until, like its fellow creek the Buchanan, it too was absorbed in dry, parched flats.  The last permanent water on Cresswell Creek was named the Adder Waterholes, on account of the large number of death-adders that were killed there.  A dry stage of ninety miles now intervened between the party and the telegraph line, and the first attempt to cross, on a day of terrible heat, resulted in a return to the Adder Camp, three horses having succumbed to the heat, thirst, and the cracked and fissured arid plains.  It being the height of the summer season, and no water within a reasonable distance, it was evidently useless to sacrifice any more horses.  There was nothing to do, therefore, but to await at the last camp the fall of a kindly thundershower, by means of which they might bridge the dry gap between them and the line.

The long delay exhausted the supply of rations, but by means of birds —­ ducks and pigeons —­ horseflesh, and the usual edible bush plants —­ blue-bush and pigweed —­ the party fared sufficiently well.

During their detention at this camp, many short excursions were made, and the country traversed was found to be mostly richly grassed downs.  Where flooded country was encroached upon, the dry beds of former lakes were found, encircled in all cases with a ring of dead trees.