., until the decline of day
made me look for water to the south-west. The scrubs were awful, and
threatened to surround us; but we succeeded in finding a fine large
lagoon, probably filled by the drainage of the almost level country to
the north-east. No water-course, not the slightest channel produced by
heavy rains, was visible to indicate the flow of waters. Occasionally we
met with swampy ground, covered with reeds, and with some standing water
of the last rains; the ground was so rotten, that the horses and bullocks
sunk into it over the fetlocks. The principal timber trees here, are the
bastard box, the flooded-gum, and the Moreton Bay ash; in the Myal scrub,
Coxen's Acacia attains a very considerable size; we saw also some
Ironbark trees.

The tracks and dung of cattle were observed; and this was the farthest
point to the westward where we met with them. Kangaroos seemed to be very
rare; but kangaroo rats were numerous. Black-fellows were very near to us
last night; they very probably withdrew upon seeing us make our
appearance.

Oct. 10.--Cloudy; wind northerly; thermometer at 2h. 30m. P. M. 88
degrees. At about 1 1/2 or 2 miles distance, in a north-west direction
from our last camp, we came to a fine running creek from the north-east,
which we easily crossed; and, at about one mile farther, reached a
creek--which, at this time of the year, is a chain of lagoons--lined on
both sides by Bricklow scrub, which occupied a portion of its limited
flats in little points and detached groves. This vale was one of the most
picturesque spots we had yet seen. An Ironbark tree, with greyish
fissured bark and pale-green foliage, grows here, and Sterculia
heterophylla is pretty frequent amongst the box and flooded-gum, on the
rising ground between the two creeks. Farther on, the country opened, the
scrub receded; Ironbark ridges here and there, with spotted gum, with
dog-wood (Jacksonia) on a sandy soil, covered with flint pebbles,
diversified the sameness. The grass was beautiful, but the tufts distant;
the Ironbark forest was sometimes interspersed with clusters of Acacias;
sometimes the Ironbark trees were small and formed thickets. Towards the
end of the stage, the country became again entirely flat, without any
indication of drainage, and we were in manifest danger of being without
water. At last, a solitary lagoon was discovered, about 30 yards in
diameter, of little depth, but with one large flooded gum-tree, marked,