26 minutes 30 seconds and, to-day, we are
only four miles more to the westward. The country is still so flat and so
completely wooded--sometimes with scrubs, thickets, Acacia, and Vitex
groves, sometimes with open Ironbark forest intermingled with spotted
gum--that no view of distant objects can be obtained. Several
Epacridaceous shrubs and species of Bossiaea and Daviesia reminded me of
the flora of the more southern districts.

Oct. 25.--We travelled about twelve miles in a north-westerly direction,
our latitude being 26 degrees 15 minutes 46 seconds. The country in
general scrubby, with occasional reaches of open forest land. The
rosemary-leaved tree of the 23rd was very abundant. An Acacia with spiny
phyllodia, the lower half attached to the stem, the upper bent off in the
form of an open hook, had been observed by me on the sandstone ridges of
Liverpool Plains: and the tout ensemble reminded me forcibly of that
locality. The cypress-pine, several species of Melaleuca, and a fine
Ironbark, with broad lanceolate, but not cordate, glaucous leaves, and
very dark bark, formed the forest. An arborescent Acacia, in dense
thickets, intercepted our course several times. Bronze-winged pigeons
were very numerous, but exceedingly shy.

The stillness of the moonlight night is not interrupted by the screeching
of opossums and flying squirrels, nor by the monotonous note of the
barking-bird and little owlet; no native dog is howling round our camp in
the chilly morning: the cricket alone chirps along the water-holes; and
the musical note of an unknown bird, sounding like "gluck gluck"
frequently repeated, and ending in a shake, and the melancholy wail of
the curlew, are heard from the neighbouring scrub.

Oct. 26.--Our journey was resumed: wind in the morning from the west;
light clouds passing rapidly from that quarter.

Messrs. Hodgson and Roper, following the chain of ponds on which we had
encamped, came to a large creek, with high rocky banks and a broad stream
flowing to the south-west. We passed an Acacia scrub, and stretches of
fine open Ironbark forest, interspersed with thickets of an aborescent
species of Acacia, for about four miles in a north-west course, when we
found ourselves on the margin of a considerable valley full of Bricklow
scrub; we were on flat-topped ridges, about 80 to 100 feet above the
level of the valley. After several attempts to cross, we had to turn to
the N. N. E. and east, in order to head it