1 degrees, so
returned; met them just having dinner; repacked and led them to
water--distance travelled twenty-four miles. This is an immense creek and
is still flowing slowly through and over the sand in its bed; it is
upwards of 300 yards wide, comes from the west and south through the
ranges, joins another about a mile north of this and passes round a small
stony hill on its right bank, then takes a northerly course then, and
lastly as far as I could discern, a north-east course. Very heavy gum
timber. I am sorry to say today our marking chisel was lost so we will
not be able to mark any more trees. The creek I have called the Marchant
after William Marchant, Esquire, of Mananarie. The main creek is now a
very considerable distance east. I hoped to have struck it before this
but the spurs from the main range keep it off. Passed today a vast number
of smaller tributaries from west; immense reefs and masses of quartz and
small ranges composed of shining slabs of a grey, tough and wavy stone
with masses of quartz. A good deal of spinifex but no scrub to interrupt
us. Will make for a distant low spur of main range tomorrow in my course.

Saturday, April 26.

Camp 43. Very mild night; a great many clouds; a likelihood of rain.
Started on bearing of 336 degrees over a vast quantity of strong
spinifex; bad travelling although not very stony. Not so much quartz
today although large piles of it are to be seen. Crossed Marchant's Creek
and at one mile crossed a tributary. At ten miles came to a very fine
creek about 400 yards broad, in one of its branches from sixty to eighty
yards; broad water completely fills the space as far as you can see
southward and westward. I have called it the Williams after Edward
Williams, Esquire, of the North of Adelaide. Immense holes in a light
blue rock in the creek a few hundred yards north of this full of water
and apparently very deep, an abundance immediately beyond in the creek,
which appears to flow northward. I have come rather a short journey today
as the sheep and bullocks had no time to feed yesterday. Very cloudy and
sultry. Lots of small fish in this creek, none yet seen longer than three
inches; amongst them are a lot of fish about the same size or a little
larger, with fine vertical black stripes commencing at the shoulder and a
black tip to lower part of tail--body generally lighter-coloured than the
other fish.

Sunday, April 27.

Camp 44, Williams Creek. Mild night, not so