the fat. Our ration had therefore been one pound flour, one-fifth
pound salt pork, and two ounces sugar per diem. Mr. H. Gregory and Bowman
rode out to round in the horses.

Latitude by Regulus and e Argus 17 degrees 2 minutes.

30th March (Sunday).

Read prayers to those of the party who were in camp, some of the men
having been sent out to attend to the horses. Mr. Baines having handed me
his journal, I regret to find that he has been compelled to make an entry
regarding Mr. Flood, who had refused to attend to his order to carry arms
while on watch at night on the 18th March. I therefore called on Mr.
Flood for any statement he had to make in extenuation of his conduct. His
replies were, however, extremely unsatisfactory, and only attempted to
excuse the act on account of some private misunderstanding with Mr.
Baines some months previous, and that the order to wear his pistol was
given before he had time to put on his clothes. There had, however, been
a distinct refusal to obey the orders of the officer in charge of the
party, and those orders were neither vexatious or unreasonable, as they
were simply in enforcement of well-established regulations. I therefore
cautioned Mr. Flood that unless his future conduct was more satisfactory
than it had hitherto been I should remove his name from the list of
officers taking command in the Expedition, according to the general
orders of the 27th August, 1855. The weather continues cloudy and calm,
and, though the temperature is not extreme, it is very oppressive.

31st March.

Examining and packing stores in readiness for the exploration of the
valley of the Victoria to the east of the depot. Found the stores in good
condition, though the bags had been much injured by the rats and white
ants. Although in some respects it would be more convenient to move the
party at once to the bank of the Victoria before examining the country
beyond, yet as the horses were now accustomed to the run near the depot,
and the huts and stockyard rendered the station a more safe and
convenient spot than any we could elsewhere select, I therefore decided
on leaving the party here until I had explored the country to the east,
and then move the whole party down the right bank of the river, by which
the number and magnitude of the tributaries from the east would be
ascertained, as this was an important point with reference to the
contemplated journey to the Gulf of Carpentaria.

1st April.

Prepa