o get near it. Barometer 28.52;
fine.

5th.
After travelling in a northerly direction for seven miles without finding
water, and without seeing any hill answering the description given by
Jemmy, I struck about east for sixteen miles, and camped at a fine spring
near some granite rocks, with splendid feed around them. This is the first
good spring since leaving the settled districts. At 8 p.m., barometer
28.44; thermometer 72 degrees.

6th (Sunday).
Rested at camp, which I called Depot Spring, and found to be in south
latitude 28 degrees 36 minutes 34 seconds by meridian altitude of sun.
Barometer at 8 a.m. 28.38; thermometer 57 degrees; at 5 p.m., barometer
28.30; thermometer 77 degrees.

7th.
Started this morning, in company with Mr. Hamersley and Jemmy, to explore
the country to the northward, where we had seen a peaked hill. Went in
that direction about thirty miles, the first twenty of which were studded
with granite rocks, with fine feed around them. At twenty-seven miles
crossed a salt marsh, about one mile wide, and, continuing three miles
farther, reached the peaked hill, which was composed of granite, capped
with immense blocks, giving it a very remarkable appearance. Bivouacked
on North-West side of hill, at a small water-hole.

8th.
This morning, after saddling up, we ascended the conical hill (which I
named Mount Holmes) and took a round of angles from it, after which we
struck North 81 degrees East magnetic to a granite range about eight
miles distant, where we found two fine water-holes, and rested an hour.
Thence in about a South-South-East direction for twelve miles, we
bivouacked without water on a small patch of feed. The day was very fine,
and the rainy appearance cleared off, much to our grief.

9th.
At daybreak, no sound of horses' bells, and anticipating they had made
off in search of water, we put our saddles, guns, and rugs on our backs,
and started on their tracks. After following the tracks for nine miles we
came to a water-hole and had breakfast; afterwards we succeeded in
overtaking the horses in a grassy flat, about thirteen miles
South-South-East from our last night's bivouac. The last few miles our
troublesome load became very awkward and heavy. One of the horses had
broken his hobbles. Continuing in about the same course for six miles, we
struck about West-South-West for ten miles, and reached camp, where we
found all well, at 6 p.m. Barometer 28.64; cloudy.

AN OLD NATIVE.