ed to some distance and again caused us to be late in starting.
Started at 11.10 a.m. A number of natives must have been here on our
arrival last afternoon but must have decamped very hastily on hearing us,
leaving all their spears, cooking and cooked vegetables, food, etc. etc.;
the food they were cooking in their ovens and what was lying cooked
consisted of excellent roots of some kind or other, and a round fruit
which they roast and which is very good. We used all the roots and found
them most excellent and left in exchange a tomahawk, which no doubt will
suit their purpose as well, and suited us much better. I took the
precaution of carrying all their spears up to our camp, that in case they
might return to their camp in the night they might not molest us; it
saved us keeping watch but we neither saw nor heard anything of them
except their dogs howling. Numbers of blue mountain parrots here, and a
few ducks only. The river here is formidable and the banks rather steep
for easy access. On the south-south-easterly course; at one and
three-quarter miles crossed deep rocky creek with a little rainwater and
very steep banks; at three and a quarter miles passed a lagoon, more
lagoons off to the south-west under the low ridges; at six miles crossed
a small oak creek from south-west by west; at seven and three-quarter
miles crossed small good creek with plenty of water from south-west by
west. Halted at a couple of lagoons, nine and a quarter miles. One of the
camels we will be compelled to leave here; he has been a most useful
animal; we will in consequence have to curtail further our little effects
and leave many things behind. Our journey direct south-east and little
south today has not been more than about seven miles. The lagoons which
are deep run in a north-west by west half west course. Buried things we
left at south side of ironbark tree fifty-two paces about west 28 degrees
south of a marked tree and camp fire.

Thursday, July 10.

Camp 32. Ice in the quart pots this morning, the first we have seen
during the whole of our wanderings up to this; but I once before saw
where it had nipped off the young burnt feed before making the Burdekin.
Have called this Coppin's lagoons after our camel that is left here.
Started at 8.52 a.m. south-east about two and a half miles or so. At one
and three-quarter miles on an easterly bearing crossed a rocky and sandy
narrow deep creek from south by west with plenty of water in large