Camp, Hayward's Creek. Wind east and south, very hot. Several of the
party still complaining, the cause of which is difficult to say as the
water in the creek appears good and there is plenty of it. The water in
the creek is between five and six miles long. There is a lake or swamp
rapidly drying up close by, from which there is a very disagreeable odour
when the wind is from that quarter; the ailing may proceed from the
malaria arising from that place; other waters in the immediate
neighbourhood drying up fast. Natives in a great state of excitement
today, wishing to inform me that the flood, or arimitha, was coming down
and that we must get out of this or we should be drowned (I only wish it
would come) stating that it had now reached as far as a place I know
well, so tomorrow will make it my business to ride over that length to
the south and east to Browne's Creek to ascertain the truth or otherwise
of this information.

Wednesday, January 29.

Wind north and east. Started with Middleton to ascertain if the flood is
really coming down or not; followed this creek round my way and was quite
astonished at the number of natives I saw--they must have been
considerably over three hundred--and I am satisfied that I did not see
them all as I did not go quite up to their camp; we had no conception
that there were any such numbers so close to us, a distance of only some
six or seven miles. There are myriads of fish of various kinds. There was
a camp close by till yesterday, within less than half a mile, but I never
saw more than one hundred in it at one time--averaging from forty to
sixty. They pass our camp with their nets to drag the creek between this
and the lake, and come back loaded with the denizens of the creek; they
are not at all liberal with them. I should be sorry to trust to their
hospitality or generosity as I think they possess but little of either of
those qualities. Arrived at Browne's Creek, at the place named by natives
for the arrival of the flood, but found their tale false--they saw me on
my way there and I suppose knew my errand--some of shallowest waters in
the upper holes of the creek had dried up since I saw them last but there
is abundance lower down.

Thursday, January 30.

Wind east. Camp, Hayward's Creek. Natives kept much aloof today, I
suppose in consequence of my finding their piece of gratuitous
information false. Self and all the party affected with griping and
vomiting with the excep