t by south; at noon altered the course to 83 degrees,
crossing the river at 12.50 p.m., where it is joined by the east branch,
which is of equal size with the northern one; followed the east branch up
through wide grassy flats till 2.0, and camped.

The country consists of elevated sandy downs covered with heathy bushes
and a few small banksia trees, it being only on the alluvial flats of the
river that there is any grass or good soil. Large flocks of
cockatoos--white, black with white tails, and black with red tails--came
to water near the camp; some were shot, also a turkey, the flesh of which
was extremely bitter and scarcely eatable. Several kangaroos were seen on
the sandy downs.

Latitude 29 degrees 11 minutes 20 seconds; longitude 115 degrees 18
minutes.

13th September.

At 7.55 a.m. left the Irwin River and steered a course 160 degrees, over
open sandy downs of considerable elevation; at 11.45 halted for half an
hour and shot a kangaroo, which proved a welcome addition to the
commissariat; at 1.30 p.m. changed the course to 142 degrees, and at 2.30
came to a running stream three yards wide. This we assumed to be the
Arrowsmith River of Captain Grey, and as there was little prospect of
finding water farther on, we bivouacked, though there was only a little
grass close to the bank of the stream and the rest of the country covered
with short scrub.

Latitude 29 degrees 27 minutes 9 seconds.

14th September.

Left the bivouac at 8.35 a.m., and steered 160 degrees over sandy downs
with ridges of red sandstone till 3.0 p.m., when the course was altered
to 220 degrees, following down a shallow valley; at 4.0 turned
west-south-west, and at 5.15 bivouacked in a swampy spot with some grass;
obtaining water by digging in the sand.

Latitude 29 degrees 48 minutes 10 seconds; longitude 115 degrees 32
minutes.

15th September.

Leaving the bivouac at 8.0 a.m., steered 214 degrees over scrubby country
with patches of gum forest; at 9.0 turned to 160 degrees, crossed a
country of sand and ironstone of considerable elevation; at 3.30 p.m.
altered the course to 170 degrees, and followed down a scrubby valley
till 5.0; then 115 degrees for half an hour, and came to a native well in
a patch of York gum-trees, where we camped. The last three hours our
progress was scarcely six miles, as one of the horses knocked up.

Latitude 30 degrees 10 minutes; longitude 115 degrees 39 minutes.

STEER SOUTH OVER SANDY DOWNS.