th, and south-east are a glaring red, with coarse grass and
shrubs. Shortly after my return today a number of natives got the
bullocks on the east side of the creek New Year Straits, about two and a
half miles from camp and raced them round Lake Blanche from us in sight;
on seeing which five of the party got mounted and armed and went after
them; they had taken the bullocks two-thirds of the way round the lake
and by some means they broke back from them; they did their best to
overtake and turn them again for about two or three miles; when they
observed the horsemen they immediately took to flight, and where shelter
was so abundant, of course, were immediately out of reach and sight of
the horsemen. What their intentions were was difficult to say but it
looked rather suspicious; took the bullocks to camp late and hobbled most
of them. The evening before leaving Lake Hodgkinson, about 8.30 p.m.,
they took both horses and bullocks and raced them round from us for about
three miles but were pursued on foot by three of the party who succeeded
in getting all the bullocks and horses after having broken three-fourths
of their chains, and were in a very excited state, nor could the horses
be quieted for more than two hours afterwards, but the wary savage was
nowhere to be seen.

Wednesday, January 8.

Moved camp about three-quarters of a mile to a little wood and camped.
Fearfully hot, wind east-north-east.

Thursday, January 9.

Camp, Lake Blanche, between the two lakes, where one would imagine the
breeze from such a body of water would render the air cool, but the heat
is almost intolerable. Wind from east-north-east to east-south-east blew
quite a gale in the night, levelling tents, etc., to the earth,
accompanied with a good deal of thunder and lightning and slight spitting
of rain for a few minutes, when it ceased. The gale kept on for two and a
half hours and gradually died away.

Friday, January 10.

Camp, Lake Blanche. One would suppose that after so much thunder and
lightning the air would be more pure and cool, but nothing of the kind
was apparent, nothing but intense heat, prostrating all the animals.
Horses and sheep taking refuge from the intense rays of the sun round and
under such bushes or trees they could get till the cool of the evening.
Wind light easterly. I sincerely wish we had a change of the weather,
warmer it cannot get, so that the change must be for the better, and
enable us to be doing somethi