eavy a country as was ever travelled on. I have therefore, with
reluctance, made up my mind to return to the camp and try it again
further north, where I may have a chance of rounding the sand hills; the
dip of them from here seems to be south-south-west. Turned back, and at
eighteen miles camped on Sturt Plains, where there is green grass for the
horses. Wind, south.

Saturday, 11th May, Sturt Plains. At dawn of day started for the camp;
arrived at 2 p.m. It was fortunate I did not go on further, for some of
the horses were scarcely able to reach it; a few more hours and I should
have lost half of them. The day has been so hot that it has nearly
knocked them all up. Found the rest of the party all right at the camp.
We had a job to keep the horses from injuring themselves by drinking too
much water. I gave them a little three separate times, tied them up for
twenty minutes, and then gave them a good drink, and drove them off to
feed. They took a few mouthfuls of grass, and were back again almost
immediately, and continued to do so nearly all the afternoon. They drank
an immense quantity. Wind, south.

Sunday, 12th May, Hawker Creek, Ashburton Range. My old horses that were
out with me before look very well this morning, but the others, whose
first trip of privation this has been, are looking very bad indeed. They
could not have gone another night without water; it has pulled them down
terribly. Yesterday, while Masters was looking for the horses, he saw
what appeared to him to be a piece of wood stuck upon a tree, about two
feet and a half long, sharp at both ends, broad at the bottom, and shaped
like a canoe. Having pulled it down, he found it to be hollow. On the top
of it were placed a number of pieces of bark, and the whole bound firmly
round with grass cord. He undid it, and found the skull and bones of a
child within. Mr. Kekwick brought it to me this morning for my
inspection. It certainly is the finest piece of workmanship I have ever
seen executed by natives. It is about twelve inches deep and ten wide,
tapering off at the ends. Small lines are cut along both sides of it. It
has been cut out of a solid piece of wood, with some sharp instrument. It
is exactly the model of a canoe. I told him to do it up again, and
replace it as it was found. If it is here when I return, I will endeavour
to take it to Adelaide with me. Wind, variable. A few clouds about.

Monday, 13th May, Hawker Creek, Ashburton Range. Started