the night. The evening was most oppressively hot and
sultry, so much so that the slightest exertion made one feel as if
he were in a state of suffocation. The dampness of the atmosphere
prevented any evaporation, and gave one a helpless feeling of
lassitude that I have never before experienced to such an extent.
All the party complained of the same symptoms, and the horses
showed distinctly the effect of the evening trip, short as it was.
We had scarcely turned in half an hour when it began to rain, some
heavy clouds having come up from the eastward in place of the layer
of small cirrocumulus that before ornamented the greater portion of
the sky. These clouds soon moved on, and we were relieved from the
dread of additional mud. After the sky cleared, the atmosphere
became rather cooler and less sultry, so that, with the assistance
of a little smoke to keep the mosquitoes off, we managed to pass a
tolerable night.

Sunday, 24th February, 1861.--Camp 9R. Comparatively little rain
has fallen above the branch creek with the running water. The
vegetation, although tolerably fresh, is not so rank as that we
have left; the water in the creek is muddy, but good, and has been
derived merely from the surface drainage of the adjoining plains.
The Melaleneus continues on this branch creek, which creeps along
at the foot of the ranges.

Monday, 25th February, 1861.--Camp 10R. There has been very little
rain on this portion of the creek since we passed down; there was,
however, no water at all then at the pans. At the Tea-tree spring,
a short distance up the creek, we found plenty of water in the
sand, but it had a disagreeable taste, from the decomposition of
leaves and the presence of mineral matter, probably iron. There
seems to have been a fair share of rain along here, everything is
so very fresh and green, and there is water in many of the channels
we have crossed.

Tuesday, 26th February, 1861.--Apple-tree Camp; 11R.

Thursday, 28th February, 1861.--Reedy Gully Camp; 12R. Came into
the Reedy Gully Camp about midnight on Tuesday, the 26th; remained
there throughout the day on Wednesday; starting at two A.M. on
Thursday.

Friday, 1st March, 1861.--Camp of the Three Crows; 13R.

Saturday, 2nd March, 1861.--Salt-bush Camp; 14R. Found Golah. He
looks thin and miserable; seems to have fretted a great deal,
probably at finding himself left behind, and he has been walking up
and down our tracks till he has made a regular pat