Plenty of water
and feed. Camped. A splendid creeper (scarlet) is here upon a number of
trees, climbing to their very top. The fruit is very showy, oblong and
quite the size of an orange but tastes exceedingly nauseous, full of
pulpy seeds, birds and opossums eat them. After getting to camp went to
top of a high range at three-quarter mile distant east-south-east. From
it I had an extensive view. At 40 degrees easy to pass through range.
From 82 to 90 degrees very mountainous. 5 degrees a very extensive valley
apparently inclining westwards. Blacks burning at 10 degrees in the
distance. North is a large irregular peak range; in the distance another
a little east of it.

Saturday, July 5.

Camp 28. Dewless night as was also the night before and several others
previous. Very hot yesterday. Last night during the whole night the sky
was completely overcast and close, this morning the same. The main creek
here is well lined with gums and well-grown oaks, the bank fringed with
reeds; low down is about fifty yards wide at the bottom level and twice
that width at top and steep but grassed all down the slopes. The forest
over which we travelled yesterday was very much cut up with sudden and
deep watercourses, making the travelling more difficult, and in many
places was stony (brown stone). Started at 8.23 a.m., the horses having
ranged rather far. Crossed the creek and on bearing of 22 degrees along
it pretty good travelling through open timber, till at about two and
three-quarter miles the creek came too close under a range to allow us to
follow anywhere near its banks. Ascended the range and at three miles the
creek on the left changed course to from 40 to 45 degrees; sometimes to
the north of that, at other times to the south of it. At a short distance
over the flat, after descending the range which was of no great
elevation, came on the creek again and followed it on the above bearing.
As we struck the creek the footprints of two horses in the bed of the
creek, and shortly after more and more, which at first led us to suppose
that the country was stocked thus far up; but after following along in
the bed we found the traces to be all about the same age and that some
time back. At length on right side of creek on the bank, at the distance
on our last course of three and a quarter miles, we saw the remains of an
old camp, ridge pole, and uprights, with the letter K cut on a couple of
gumtrees, which at once led us to believe