me in from the scrubby hills
to the eastward, but, at a short distance beyond their junction, almost
the whole channel disappears. Soon after, we came to another creek, to
the left of the first; but it disappeared in the same manner as the
other. We came upon several lagoons, and found some very fine grass: the
scrub reappeared on the rising ground about six miles north from the
large sheet of water. A little farther on, we came to ridges of basaltic
formation, openly timbered with silver-leaved Ironbark, and richly
covered with young grasses and herbs, identical with those of the Darling
Downs. Water holes with fine water were found at the foot of the hills.
Mimosa terminalis was frequent; numerous flights of partridge pigeons
(Geophaps scripta) were also seen.

Dec. 24.--We returned towards the camp, but, through some inattention,
kept too much to the eastward, and passed through a country of an
extremely diversified character, and very different in appearance from
that we had just left. Here we passed an extensive Myal forest, the
finest I had seen, covering the hilly and undulating country,
interspersed with groves of the native lemon tree; a few of which were
still sufficiently in fruit to afford us some refreshment. Occasionally
we met with long stretches of small dead trees, probably killed by bush
fires, alternating with Bricklow thickets: and then again crossed small
plains and patches of open forest ground, which much relieved the
tediousness of the ride through thick scrubs, which we had frequently to
penetrate with both hands occupied in protecting the face from the
branches. We also crossed chains of water-holes surrounded by a coarse
stargrass; these now changed into creeks with deep and irregular beds,
lined with Melaleucas, and now again dwindled into shallow channels,
scarcely to be recognised amidst the surrounding scrub. A week before,
these holes were hopelessly dry; but a recent thunder-storm had filled
them; and had also made the ground soft and heavy, and had called into
life thousands of small frogs, which, by an incessant croaking, testified
their satisfaction at the agreeable change.

Dec. 25.--We returned to Brown's Lagoons, and entered our camp just as
our companions were sitting down to their Christmas dinner of suet
pudding and stewed cockatoos. The day was cloudy and sultry; we had had a
heavy thunder-storm on Christmas eve.

Dec. 26.--During the night, scud passed from the east; in the