tending to give them to Mr. Bailey, Curator
of the Brisbane Gardens, but I made other use of it. I was compelled to
make easy stages on account of the heavy pulling. The season was
bitterly cold; camping on the open downs with no shelter was not
pleasant.

The distance from Boulia to Springvale is 80 miles, the only traffic
along it being the pack horse of the mailman once a week. One of the
places I camped at was known as Elizabeth Springs. This spring is a
circular hole of about three feet in diameter, in which warm water is
continually bubbling up. The overflow runs into Spring Creek, and runs
for 15 miles, emptying into a large hole opposite the head station. A
peculiarity of this spring is, if one jumps into it, the force of the
water causes the body to rebound like a rubber ball, and small particles
of sand coming up with the water causes a stinging sensation. The depth
of the spring is unknown.

About 40 yards from this spring there is another hole, the water of
which is quite cold, and of an inky colour. This hole has attributes
opposite to the other, that is--a body will sink quickly in its water.
The blacks have a tradition that a gin jumped into it, and was never
seen again. These springs are on Springvale run.

On arriving at the station, I found Mr. Milson was out mustering, but
Mrs. Milson, who remembered me at Monkira some six years before, made me
very comfortable. I left the following morning to cover the 37 miles to
Diamantina Lakes Station. When I reached the Gum Holes, on the boundary
of the two runs, I decided to camp. Mr. Milson turned up here, and from
him I learnt that the Diamantina River, which was about seven miles
ahead of me, was uncrossable, and that it was running about four miles
wide. He instructed me that when I reach the river, I was to go to a
high ridge two miles back, and make a large bonfire at night. I arrived
at the river the following day, when my man and I employed ourselves the
whole afternoon in getting wood, which was scarce and some distance
away. The closer timber had been used by the mailman to attract the
attention of the station people in flood time, as we were to do.

The station was about eight miles from the ridge, and we had great
trouble during the night to keep the fire burning. The next afternoon
Mr. Shaw, the manager, came across in a canvas boat, and camped the
night with us. It was arranged I should return with him in the boat and
leave the man with the ho