morants here are numerous but difficult to be got
at and our shot is not heavy enough for them. Our crow-stew was excellent
this morning.

Wednesday, July 16.

Camp 35. A good shower during the night; foggy this morning, but the rain
evidently all cleared off; started at 8.3 a.m. course south by east;
crossed deep creek from north-west by west, little water; at two and a
half miles passed a swamp; at three and three-quarter miles crossed oak
creek from west-south-west; at four and a quarter miles changed course to
south 35 degrees east; crossed at one and three-quarter miles a small
creek from north-north-west, plenty of waterholes; same creek afterwards
was close on our left at five and three-quarter miles where it joins the
river, and another oak creek close by joins at nearly or at same place.
Then changed course to south 11 degrees east and passed lagoon at three
miles; passed through an end of considerable swamp; at six and a quarter
miles on our left and after going a short way saw where it had wound
round a ridge and was a large sheet of water and swampy land; before and
after this passed through several nasty thick belts of scrub with a very
fine large white tree with dark rough butt growing amongst it, Moreton
Bay ash, I imagine; made the river at nine and three-quarter miles where
some drays and sheep had crossed some time since; followed the river down
one and a quarter miles south-south-west, and crossed a fine creek from
west by north and camped about three-quarters of a mile up the creek; one
branch of it comes from north-west by north, the other and best from west
half south. Basalt ridge close to the river and south banks of creek; a
short distance down the river a cliffy precipitous tier of ranges comes
right on to the river with dark scrubby-looking tops. On the right bank
of the creek with its junction with the river is a mass of sandstone with
bullets of stones through it, and a yellow hard-looking clay perfectly
detached, the clay wall having a dip of about 45 degrees to south-west;
abundance of water up the left hand or southernmost creek. Distance
travelled twenty to twenty-one miles. I have called the creek we are now
encamped on Gibson's after ---- Gibson, Esquire, of Great Bourke Street,
Melbourne.

Thursday, July 17.

Camp 36. Ice again this morning, very cold during the night. Started at 8
a.m.; four and a half miles on bearing of south by east along and over
basalt country, crossed rocky