hway; could find
no sign of his having been far off, although there is a splendid
feed to which he could have gone. He began to eat as soon as he saw
the other camels.

Sunday, 3rd March, 1861.--Eureka Camp; 15R. In crossing a creek by
moonlight, Charley rode over a large snake; he did not touch him,
and we thought that it was a log until he struck it with the
stirrup iron; we then saw that it was an immense snake, larger than
any I have ever before seen in a wild state. It measured eight feet
four inches in length and seven inches in girth round the belly; it
was nearly the same thickness from the head to within twenty inches
of the tail; it then tapered rapidly. The weight was 11 1/2 pounds.
From the tip of the nose to five inches back, the neck was black,
both above and below; throughout the rest of the body, the under
part was yellow, and the sides and back had irregular brown
transverse bars on a yellowish brown ground. I could detect no
poisonous fangs, but there were two distinct rows of teeth in each
jaw, and two small claws of nails, about three-eighths of an inch
long, one on each side of the vent.

Monday, 4th March, 1861.--Feasting Camp; 16R. Shortly after
arriving at Camp 16 we could frequently hear distant thunder
towards the east, from which quarter the wind was blowing. During
the afternoon there were frequent heavy showers, and towards
evening it set in to rain steadily but lightly; this lasted till
about eight P.M., when the rain ceased and the wind got round to
west; the sky, however, remained overcast until late in the night,
and then cleared for a short time; the clouds were soon succeeded
by a dense fog or mist, which continued until morning. The vapour
having then risen, occupied the upper air in the form of light
cirrostratus and cumulus clouds.

Tuesday, 5th March, 1861.--Camp 17R. Started at two A.M. on a
south-south-westerly course, but had soon to turn in on the creek,
as Mr. Burke felt very unwell, having been attacked by dysentery
since eating the snake; he now felt giddy and unable to keep his
seat. At six A.M., Mr. Burke feeling better, we started again,
following along the creek, in which there was considerably more
water than when we passed down. We camped, at 2.15 P.M., at a part
of the creek where the date trees [Footnote: Probably Livistonas.]
were very numerous, and found the fruit nearly ripe and very much
improved on what it was when we were here before.

Wednesday, 6th Mar