nce. At nine miles, I came upon a chain of ponds
falling northward, and in which were two good ponds of water, whereupon I
returned to the camp. Thermometer, at sunrise, 38 deg.; at 9 P.M., 38 deg..
Height above the sea, 1287 feet. (XXXV.)

12TH JUNE.--The rock about the river here was deeply impressed with
ripple marks, and also dipped N.N.E. or northward. It consisted of a
yellow sandstone in thin strata, covered in some parts with beds of
waterworn pebbles. These consisted chiefly of quartz, felspar, and a
silicious petrifaction of woody appearance. We proceeded along my horse
track of yesterday. In crossing what seemed a principal ridge on which
grew brigalow scrub (through which we had, in parts, to cut a way), we
came upon a fine specimen of the Bottle Tree (DELABECHEA); near it grew
the GEIJERA PARVIFLORA, which did not attain a greater height than 10
feet. I found by the syphon barometer that our height above the sea was
here 1579 feet. By the same gauge I found that two other ridges further
on were still higher (1587 feet). In the afternoon, the sky became
overcast with dark, round, heavy clouds, and in the evening, slight
showers fell. Thermometer, at sunrise, 20 deg.; at noon, 74 deg.; at 4P.M., 73 deg.;
at 9, 60 deg.. The wind and clouds came from the west.

13TH JUNE.--The line of ponds we were upon might turn to the northward;
nevertheless I was unwilling to follow them down, and again lose westing,
until I had made another attempt to penetrate to the N. W. The morning
was rainy, and, as in such weather travelling was likely to gall the
necks of the bullocks, I halted the party, and took a ride in that
direction. I encountered much soft sand and scrubs of brigalow, rosewood,
and Callitris. Scrubs of the latter were most dense and continuous. I
fell in with a goodly little river at five miles; its course there was
from S. W. to N. E. Beyond it, I found the country still more sandy,
although intersected by one or two water-courses falling to the
northward. The furthest one, at fifteen miles from our camp, had in it
ponds containing no water. It seemed near the source, and that we had
almost reached the crest of some dividing feature. A thunder-storm then
burst over us, and the time of day did not admit of going further. I
therefore returned, convinced that I could not in that direction make
much progress.* Thermometer, at sunrise, 49 deg.; at noon, 57 deg.; at 4 P.M.,
54 deg.; at 9, 48 deg..

[* This was u