hort, the bullocks being absent this
morning when I left camp, and it appears had gone towards our old camp
about eight miles before they were overtaken. I hope all the animals will
be at hand in the morning to enable us to make a good day of it tomorrow.
Just below the junction of these two creeks (although the southern one is
only a small one and in it we got the water) the creek is from 250 to 300
yards broad with splendid gums in it on its banks. Although I searched up
and down the main creek some distance still no water to be found, the bed
of the creek is so very sandy. My reason for camping at so short a stage
was that from the top of the hill I was on I fancy I could discern a
continuation of dry-looking country beyond this creek. Very little
spinifex on the way today; plenty of grass and very good travelling;
masses of quartz and mica all along our tracks; ridges low with some
spinifex run in considerably to the east towards the main creek--lots of
myall and other shrubs. The natives are busy burning on the ranges some
distance west of this and have been burning daily ever since we came on
the creek, and I suppose are still unaware of our presence or they would
have paid us a visit. For the last 150 miles at least there have been on
the slopes and tops of all the ranges decaying red anthills, not tenanted
and gradually decaying--many of them appearing like sharp spires and
washed in every shape by the rains and the weather.

Friday, April 25.

Camp 42. Mild night, warm morning. Animals all at hand for a good start.
Bearing of 352 degrees; crossed good-sized creek at three and a half
miles; another good-sized creek at eight miles; and at ten and a quarter
miles another, but deep. During first part of the journey over good open
white gum and myall forest; last part ridgy, with spinifex; quartz all
the way; at twelve miles and a half crossed creek; at fourteen and a half
miles crossed creek; native got water by digging in the sand; at sixteen
and a quarter miles changed course to 5 degrees, the ridges and spurs
coming too much in my way; four and three-quarter miles on this last
bearing to a mound of slabs of sparkling stony-like mica, about fifty
feet, and two mounds of similar form, but wooded on the right, no water;
left Middleton here to tell them to camp for the night and watch the
animals, and went myself westward to endeavour to find water for them in
the morning and found it at three miles on bearing of 30