, in case I have to put to my former
line for it. If I should meet with it to-day I shall turn south-west or
west. This country is very dry, and absorbs all that falls. It is of a
bright red soil, mixed with sand and, in some places, lime. At ten miles
I am obliged to stop, in consequence of the grey mare being quite done
up; the stones play the mischief with her. I have great doubts of her
living through the journey. Distance to-day, ten miles.

Monday, 2nd August, Salt Bush--a Stony Plain. We had a little rain during
the night. Started at 9 on a bearing of 315 degrees. At three miles
changed our course to 230 degrees. The last three miles of this day's
journey were through rather a thick scrub, but well grassed, with few
stones. The former part was through a very well-grassed country, with a
little salt bush and low scrub. Saw a number of kangaroos, but they were
too wild to get near them. Distance to-day, twenty miles.

Tuesday, 3rd August, Good Country. It has rained during the whole night,
and is likely to do so to-day. Started at 9, on the same course as
yesterday, 230 degrees. The first portion of our journey was over six
miles of splendid alluvial country, covered with grass--partly spear
grass--with a little salt bush intermixed with it, also a few mulga
bushes at intervals; no other timber. It is a most beautiful open piece
of country, and looks much better than the Adelaide plains did at the
commencement of the colony. Four miles further it was not so good; the
soil became a little lighter, with more salt bush, and a little scrub.
The last eleven miles the soil is good, with grass and salt bush in
abundance, but much thicker with mulga and other low scrubs. It seems to
be a continuation of the same scrub that we passed over on the 19th
ultimo, and I observe that the ants build their habitations in the same
style as they did there. They are about one foot in diameter at the base,
and formed in the shape of a cone, and are supported by the dead root of
a mulga. Others, however, stand from eighteen inches to three feet in
height, built of clay, and on the surface. The kangaroo and emu inhabit
the country. We have also found a number of places where the natives have
been encamped. They seem to be numerous, judging from the number of
places where they have had their fires; but we have not seen any of them.
We have had it raining nearly all day, and it still looks bad. Our black
fellow left us during the night; he