as forced the vegetation towards maturity, and many of the
grasses have already ripened their seeds, while there are many other
indications of the dry season having fairly set in; the wind is steadily
from the south and south-east, and is very dry; the sky is clear and
bright, and the creeks have ceased to run; the almost total absence of
birds or animals shows that we are approaching the limits of the dry
summer season of the southern interior; in the afternoon rode out with
Mr. H. Gregory to examine the country, and found that the river came
through a gorge in the sandstone range; this gorge is two miles long, a
quarter of a mile wide, and 400 feet deep, with nearly perpendicular
sides, the winter channel of the river occupying nearly the whole
breadth, and intersecting the otherwise flat bottom of the valley with
dry sandy channels and long pools of water; beyond the gorge the valley
opened, but the view was intercepted by hills.

A HORSE KILLED.

21st January.

Resumed our journey at 7.10 a.m., and, following the right bank of the
river nearly west through the gorge, at 9.0 entered an open valley,
through which the river came from the south-west; but at 10.0 we entered
a second defile, which, from the inclined strata of sandstone, was almost
impassable for the horses. In crossing some soft ground between the rocks
one of the horses fell on a sharp stump, and was deeply wounded in the
belly. The wound was sewn up; but the injury was so severe that the horse
died in the night. Having extricated ourselves from this ravine, we
encamped at the foot of a sandstone hill, the strata of which dipped 60
degrees to the south-west. Ascending the hill, which was about 300 feet
high, the country appeared more level to the south, rising into sandstone
ranges at ten miles distance. The course of the river was from
west-south-west, the channel being bounded by sandstone cliffs 100 to 200
feet high. The general aspect of the country was wretched in the extreme,
as little besides a few small gum-trees and triodia clothed the rugged
surface of the red sandstone. The weather continues fine, with only an
occasional cloud or flash of lightning in the early part of the night.
The temperature is increasing, being 104 degrees at 1.0 p.m. Some catfish
and a small tortoise were caught in the river.

22nd January.

At 7.0 a.m. continued our route up the river; but, to avoid the deep
ravines on its banks, made a sweep to the south, and at n