e proper bearing, so that if it is even
late when the horses are found they can be overtaken and a journey made;
but it does not give me an opportunity of finding water and good camp as
I otherwise would be able to do getting them in a proper time. Wind at 10
a.m. changed to east-north-east, beautiful morning. At middle of the day,
the horses not making their appearance, I sent after the sheep and
bullocks and had them turned back to camp; they arrived at sunset and the
horses just arrived at the same time, having strayed amongst the spinifex
a considerable distance. I took a horse and went to the nearest hill
about seven miles distant to observe the course of the main creek, but
the day proving warm and misty I did not get so distinct a view as I
anticipated, it was extensive enough but indistinct although the
elevation I was on must have been more than 3000 feet from level of the
creek, and much higher ranges on to west of it; from top of it portions
of the main range appear in the far distance at 347 1/2 degrees; no other
eminence round the horizon to 95 degrees; the whole intervening space
filled with creeks running in all directions towards the main creek, that
must be distant from the hill I was on easterly nearly twenty miles with
an apparent northerly course; this hill is detached from the main mass of
range and distant from four to five miles. It and the most of the
intervening space between the camp and it is literally one mass of quartz
and quartz-reefs, mica, etc., and on top of range is a sort of flaggy
slate, all apparently having undergone the action of fire--this range I
have called Sarah's Range; it bears from camp 323 degrees seven miles; a
great deal of spinifex and abrupt creeks between camp and it, not a speck
of gold visible but it appears to have undergone the action of fire; this
is another day lost. Such detention makes me quite irritable and fidgety.

Thursday, April 24.

Camp 41. Night mild, warm morning. Bearing of 345 degrees for three
miles, within which distance three tributaries from the range from the
west cross us, not of any great size. Change course to 352 degrees, the
ground being rather stony and full of spinifex, and the side creeks very
sandy, and little hopes of water for the animals although plenty could be
had for our own use. At one mile, tributary; at two miles another; four
and a quarter miles another; at seven miles junction of two, where we
camp; although the distance is s