and there left in
tolerable feed but not very abundant. The water is lying all over the
flat in sheets and the creek rising rapidly. It must have been a very
long time since this part of the country has been similarly visited with
rain, as the country generally, the flats principally, had not any
vegetation upon them of any useful kind. As I said before the stone
hills, or rather the small creeks on their slopes, are the only places
where there was any feed excepting in the bed of the creek, and now that
last supply was gone, as the creek by this afternoon was swimmable.

Friday, February 28.

Raining all night but not quite so heavily; still very considerably. Our
camp is like a stockyard in the southern districts much used in the wet
weather--over our boots in mud and water; although on some of the highest
ground just about here pounds of mud and rubbish adhere to your boots
every time you lift your feet. Creek considerably more swollen; and as
every place is so saturated with water and mud will not move out of this
till tomorrow morning. In the meantime, in hopes that it will clear up a
little and make the ground firm enough to bear the weight of the animals.
It is well we left the cart or we should not have been able to move it
from this, and every probability of its being carried away by the flood
now rapidly approaching. We are now in that position and not far from the
place where Captain Sturt dreaded being overtaken by rain. It is fearful
to travel over but must make the best of it. I am very glad indeed that
we have been favoured with such a copious supply; although for a short
time it may prevent my travelling it will be the means of enabling me to
move about afterwards as I may think fit. I wish I had a couple of
months' more rations of flour, tea, and sugar, as then I could thoroughly
examine the country in this quarter; as it is I will do the best I can.
If this creek carries me much more to the north instead of going to the
east as it now does I think it will take a run through to the Albert
River; and if the steam-sloop Victoria, Captain Norman, has not sailed
from there I think I will be able to get flour or biscuits in sufficient
quantity to carry me back, and enable me to do all, or nearly so, that
was required of me by the South Australian Government; if not at the
Albert I will only be obliged to live the principal part of the return
journey on animal food and what vegetables we may find from time to