Creek. Wind from east and west of north during the
morning with hot gusts, very oppressive.

Thursday, February 6.

Camp, at Hayward's Creek. Wind north till late in the afternoon with some
thunder and lightning and a good many clouds; appears in the distance to
be raining in patches, but I have so often been deceived that I now take
less notice of appearances of that kind; late in the afternoon the wind
chopped round to south. Has been very hot and sultry all day. Intend in
the morning to send Mr. Hodgkinson and Middleton to Lake Goonaidringinnie
to ascertain for certain if that lake still contains abundance of water,
and good, as I think it does--and on the way to pass and examine Lake
Moolionboorana to see if it will suit as a stage to camp at on our
journey to Goonaidringinne, as it was not very deep when I was there last
and I have my doubts about it. The natives report a considerable quantity
of rain to have fallen to the east and towards north-east in the country
north of Lakes Blanche and MacDonnell or Appacalradillie. If so I wish it
had fallen when I was there that I might have been able to have examined
the country there thoroughly.

Friday, February 7.

Started Mr. Hodgkinson and Middleton to Lake Goonaidringinnie. Wind from
all points of compass with many clouds; weather disagreeable and sultry
during the day; rained steadily once or twice during the night with a
good deal of thunder and lightning in the distance; much rain must have
fallen to east and north of east as well as to the south.

Saturday, February 8.

Splendid rain and steady. Thundering all round with every appearance of a
considerable quantity of rain which will, I trust, come in such abundance
as to enable me to push to the north-west across the desert, as up to
this time I have been completely shut up, as it were, here for want of a
decent shower to enable me to do anything of service anywhere; and the
provisions gradually getting less although the ration is now as low as I
can well make it. I have reduced it first from 8 pounds of flour per man
per week to 7 pounds, then to 6 pounds, then to 4 1/2 pounds; sugar
reduced from 2 pounds per man per week to 1 1/2 pounds; and tea from 4
ounces to 3 ounces per man per week, with plenty of good mutton; but we
find the supply of flour very scanty at the 4 1/2 pounds. There has been
a good deal of loss in weight in the bags of flour, as much as 9 pounds
per 100 pounds; and a great portion of