iles we
turned to the north-north-east towards a fine line of timber. We
found a creek of considerable dimensions, that had only two or
three small water-holes, but as there was more than sufficient for
us, and very little feed for the beasts anywhere else, we camped. I
should have liked this camp to have been in a more prominent and
easily recognizable position, as it happens to be almost exactly on
the tropic of Capricorn. The tremendous gale of wind that we had in
the evening and night prevented me from taking a latitude
observation, whereas I had some good ones at the last camp and at
Camp 87. My reckoning cannot be far out. I found, on taking out my
instruments, that one of the spare thermometers was broken, and the
glass of my aneroid barometer cracked; the latter I believe not
otherwise injured. This was done by the camel having taken it into
his head to roll while the pack was on his back.

Tuesday, 8th January, 1861.--Started at a quarter past five A.M.
with a load of water, determined to be independent of all creeks
and watercourses. At a mile and a half, found surface water in a
small creek, and at a mile farther, water in two or three places on
the open plains. The country we crossed for the first ten miles
consists of fine open plains of firm argillaceous soils, too stiff
and hard to be affected by the small quantity of rain that has
fallen as yet. They are subject to inundations from the overflow of
a number of small creeks, which intersect them in a direction
east-north-east to west-south-west. Nearly all the creeks are lined
with box trees and shrubs in a tolerably healthy state; of the
remains of dead trees there is only a fair proportion to the living
ones. After traversing a plain of greater extent than the rest, we,
at ten miles, reached the creek, proportionately large and
important looking. The channel, however, at the point where we
struck it, was deep, level, and dry; but I believe there is water
in it not far off, for there were some red-breasted cockatoos in
the trees, and native parrots on each side. On the north side there
is a part bearing off to the north-north-west. The mirage on the
plain to the south of the creek was stronger than I have before
seen it. There appear to be sheets of water within a few yards of
one, and it looks sufficiently smooth and glassy to be used for an
artificial horizon. To the westward of the plains, some fine
sandhills were visible, nearly in the direction in