my
journey. We were now about 56 miles from the camp, and there was little
likelihood of our finding any water on our way back; when we descended
from the hill, therefore, I pressed into the pine forest, as far as I
could, and then halted. On the following morning we crossed the plains
more to the north than we had before done. About 11 a.m. we struck a
creek, and startled a native dog in its bed which ran along the bank. In
following this animal we stumbled on a pool of water, and stopped to
breakfast. Wishing to examine the country there as far to the north as
possible on my way back, I passed over the northern extremity of the
ranges. They there appeared gradually to terminate, and a broad belt of
pine scrub from the westward stretched across the country, below me, to
the east, until it joined the forest, through a lower part of which we
had penetrated to Mount Lyell; but beyond this scrub nothing was to be
seen. On my return to the camp I examined the drays, and found that the
hot weather had had a tremendous effect on the wheels; the felloes had
shrunk greatly, and the tyres of all were loose. I therefore had them
wedged and put into serviceable condition.

The heat at this period was every day increasing, and it blew violently
from whatever point of the compass the wind came.

On the 17th I examined the stock, and was glad to find they were all in
good condition, the horses fast recovering from their late fatigues, the
cattle in excellent order, and the sheep really fat.

Mr. Stuart was generally employed over the chart, which now embraced more
than 80 miles of a hilly country, and I was happy to find that our angles
agreed.

As I have already observed, there were a great variety of the cereal
grasses about Flood's Creek, but they merely occupied a small belt on
either side of it. All the grasses were exceedingly green, and there was
a surprising appearance of verdure along the creek. Beyond it, on both
sides, were barren stony plains, on which salsolaceous plants alone grew.
About 13 miles to the westward the pine ridges commenced, and between us
and these were large flats of grassy land, over which the waters of the
creek spread in times of flood.

The white owl here appeared, like other birds, at noon-day; but there
were also numerous other night birds. Here too the black-shouldered hawk
collected in flights of thirty or forty constantly on the wing, but we
never saw them take any prey; nor, (although we i