depth of water
in the well fifteen and a half inches, the water very hard and clear,
quite the opposite of the lake, which is very soft and rather milky in
colour. Mr. Hodgkinson, since he has been absent, has had a severe attack
of illness brought on, I believe, by injury sustained from a pummelling
he received at Apoinga, near the Burra, from one of the camels, Siva, who
at that time was very unruly and inclined to be vicious. He has
repeatedly complained and even now is not at all the thing. I trust he
will thoroughly recover as he is a very energetic little fellow and the
want of his services would be a considerable loss to me on my coming
journey. Highest temperature during day 120 degrees.

Saturday, November 30.

Wind south-south-east. Temperature at sunrise 70 degrees; depth of water
in the well at 5 a.m. eighteen and a quarter inches. Temperature at noon
99 degrees in the sun and wind. Temperature at sunset 84 degrees; wind
west of south a little cloudy; so it was last night.

Sunday, December 1.

A little rain during the night but not enough to wet a sheet of paper. At
sunrise temperature 70 degrees, calm. At noon slight breeze southerly;
temperature 110 degrees. Found suspended the spring of one of Terry's
breech-loading rifles round the neck of a native; he describes the
remaining portions of the rifle out to the north-east, which will be
nearly in our north course. Highest temperature during the afternoon in
the sun 129 degrees; at sunset 99 degrees.

Monday, December 2.

Wind south-south-east, temperature at sunrise 77 degrees; sky completely
overcast. Start out eastward to examine the country with two camels, five
horses, and sufficient food for one and a half weeks, taking with me
Middleton, Poole, Frank (a native), and a native of this place. My main
object in going out now is firstly to ascertain if there is a likelihood
of a flood down Cooper's Creek this season, after all the rain that has
fallen along the eastern side of the continent some months back, and
which I thought possible might have fallen as well on and to west of
coast range, so to secure to us an open retreat in the event of our being
able to make some considerable advance northward, and being detained some
time. And secondly to ascertain if anyone was as yet stationed on
Cooper's Creek, to intimate to them my intentions of proceeding northward
for some distance, and the almost certainty of crossing any track of
either of the sear