well
grassed, was barren and useless sand, gravel, and rock.

Latitude by Vega 17 degrees 53 minutes 42 seconds.

20th August.

We left our camp at 7.0 a.m., and finding the valley of the creek
impassable, crossed the hills in an east-south-east direction, the
country consisting of steep sandstone ridges covered with triodia and a
few stunted eucalypti; at 3.0 p.m. we again attained the bank of the
creek and camped in a small patch of coarse rushes, as there was no grass
for the horses.

Latitude by Vega 17 degrees 58 minutes 7 seconds.

21st August.

Leaving this miserable spot with our starving horses, followed the creek,
which had now increased to a small river, to the east-south-east, and
after two hours' travelling reached a small patch of grass and camped at
8.20 a.m.; the bed of the river is nearly dry, only a few shallow pools
remaining in the sandy channel, which is ten to fifty yards wide, with
smaller side channels, altogether occupying a breadth of nearly 200
yards, dense clumps of melaleuca-trees growing in the intervening banks
of sand; large quantities of unio-shell, some five and six inches in
length, are found on the banks of the river near the camps of the blacks;
Bowman complains of an attack of scurvy, which causes pains in his legs
and swelling of the gums.

22nd August.

Although our yesterday's journey was only of two hours' duration, the
horses appeared very weak and fatigued when we started at 6.45 am, and it
was with great difficulty that Boco and Monkey could keep up with the
rest of the horses; we were frequently compelled to leave the bank of the
river and cross steep rocky ridges of sandstone rock; the country was
very rugged and barren, producing little besides triodia and a few
stunted gum-trees. The bed of the river increased to 400 yards in width,
consisting of sandy channels with narrow banks of sand covered with large
melaleuca-trees between them. At 1.5 p.m. camped in a small patch of dry
wiry grass; procuring water from a small pool in the bed of the river.

Latitude by Vega 17 degrees 59 minutes 2 seconds.

THE NICHOLSON RIVER.

23rd August.

Resumed our journey at 7.15 a.m., following the right bank of the river
to the east-north-east; it soon passed between two steep rocky hills and
turned to the north. Continuing our course a short distance, rocky hills
compelled us to turn north-north-east to regain the banks of the river,
following an ana-branch till 11.0 a.m.,