d the fires of a party of blacks who had camped at the waterhole
the previous day; small heaps of mussel-shells lay at intervals along the
banks of the creek, though the channel was perfectly dry; but it appears
that during the last wet season less rain has fallen than usual, and the
soil has not been fully saturated, and consequently the waterholes have
dried up sooner than in average years; although from the level character
and geological features of the country, we are now on the tableland which
divides the waters flowing to the north-west coast from those which fall
into the Gulf of Carpentaria, the elevation of the country does not
exceed 800 feet above the sea.

Latitude by Centauri and Arcturus 15 degrees 18 minutes 33 seconds.

3rd July.

Starting at 7.30 a.m., followed the creek to the north-east by east till
8.25, when it was joined by a small creek from the south; thus increased
water was abundant in the bed of the creek, but the pools were shallow
and not permanent. Grassy flats extended for a mile on each bank of the
creek, beyond which the level forest of stringybark, bloodwood, and box
was well grassed; the soil a good red loam. In a few spots fragments of
limestone and agate were strewed over the surface, and an occasional
ridge of ironstone conglomerate was crossed on which the grass was
indifferent. At 12.45 p.m. camped in a wide grassy flat, where the grass,
having been burnt early in the season, had sprung up again quite fresh
and green.

Latitude by a2 Centauri 15 degrees 11 minutes 24 seconds; variation of
compass 2 degrees 10 minutes east.

4th July.

We were again in the saddle at 7.10 a.m., and, steering 70 degrees
magnetic, diverged from the creek, traversing a level grassy forest of
stringybark with abundance of green grass; at 8.0 turned north-east; the
forest became more open, and the stringybark was replaced by bloodwood
and box; limestone rock was frequent, and rendered the surface of the
country very rough; and frequent depressions of the surface appeared to
result from the falling-in of the roofs of caverns beneath which were
farther indicated by deep clefts and holes in the rock, into which the
surface waters flow during the rains. At 11.0 a.m. turned north, and at
noon again struck the creek, which gradually turned to the
north-north-east; limestone formed the banks, and only one small pool was
seen till 4.50 p.m., when we found a little water in the sandy bed of a
tributary cre