ird fly up; I sent
Woodforde to try and shoot him, which he did. It was of a dark-brown
colour, and spotted like the landrail; the tail feathers were nine in
number, and twelve inches long. I have had it skinned, and will endeavour
to take it to Adelaide. Thring, Woodforde, and Masters cooked the body,
and ate it. They had scarcely finished, when, in a moment, they were
seized with violent vomiting, but in a few minutes they were all right
again. Wind, calm. Latitude, 18 degrees 19 minutes 30 seconds.

Saturday, 6th July, Burke Creek. Started at 7.45 a.m., same course, to
follow the creek (285 degrees). At three miles it was lost in a grassy
gum plain; changed to 300 degrees. On this course the plain continued for
three miles; it then became sandy soil, with spinifex, gums, and scrub.
Crossed a low sand hill at fourteen miles; descended into another low
grassy plain subject to inundation, which, I suppose, receives Hunter
Creek. It continued for two miles, at the end of which we again ascended
a sandy rise, on the top of which the country became a sandy table land,
and continued so the rest of the day's journey. Camped without water, and
with very little grass. The table land was spinifex, gums, and scrub, in
some places very difficult to get through. Distance, thirty miles. Wind,
south-east. Latitude, 18 degrees 7 minutes 5 seconds. At 7 p.m. I
observed the comet, 5 degrees above the horizon, bearing 15 degrees west
of north, the nucleus more hazy, and the tail much longer. Calm.

Sunday, 7th July, West Sandy Table Land. Started at 8 a.m. on the same
course. At 3 p.m. we got into dense scrub, and, as I could see some
distance on before, being on one of the slight undulations, I felt there
was not the slightest hope of obtaining water; there was no change, no
rising ground visible. It would be hopeless to continue such sandy
country, as it can never hold water on the surface. We dug five feet, in
one of the small plains, but came to the clay without finding water, or
even moisture. There is not a mouthful of grass for the horses to eat;
the whole of the journey, with the exception of the small grassy plains,
is spinifex, gums, and scrub. I shall have to retreat to the last plain
we passed through to get feed for the horses, which are looking very bad.
The travelling has been heavy tearing through thick scrub, which in some
places has been burned: this makes it very rough for them. I must now
give up all hope of reaching