nt well for them tomorrow and trust we may
recover them.

Friday, May 16.

I with Bell and Davis started out first thing after the camels, leaving
Palmer, Wylde and Kirby in camp. Searched back towards the old camp again
although they had assured me they had thoroughly searched all the leading
creeks, but I had little faith in their search, which the result proved.
At about six miles south-south-west in one of the creeks that they
particularly assured me had been well-searched I, with Davis, found their
traces (Bell having been sent in another direction) and after losing
their track for about six or seven hours succeeded in finding them about
twelve or thirteen miles south and west of this, I fancy more by accident
than anything else, at about an hour and a half to sunset, and
immediately started to camp where they arrived all right and are now tied
up for the night ready for a morning start, and very glad am I that they
are found.

Saturday, May 17.

Camp 58. Sultry, wind east. All the animals ready for a start and happy
am I to turn my back on this camp which I call Rowdy Creek Falls Camp
after the poor little bullock we killed here, which gave us about 70
pounds of such stuff as one could hardly imagine without seeing
it--nothing like a particle of fat visible anywhere and excessively
tasteless. It is fortunate our two remaining bullocks are in better
condition or we would not be in the most enviable plight on our arrival
at the settled districts, Queensland. Started on bearing of 335 1/2
degrees over good open country. At two and three-quarter miles came to
and crossed a creek coming up from south-south-west; in that direction
there are falls and sheets of rock quite across it and forming above and
below them splendid reaches of deep water with numberless ducks, etc.,
and black macaws and gillates in thousands. Plenty of water in our course
beyond the creek for half to three-quarters of a mile; then over plains
intersected with thin belts of small trees, the river not far off on our
right. At seven and a quarter miles changed course to 334 degrees,
keeping a little farther from the river. At fifteen and three-quarter
miles got to camp, found all right. Natives burning grass close upon our
right on the way here to windward at a furious rate. What their
particular object can be in burning so much of the country I cannot
understand. No natives as yet have voluntarily shown themselves. I met
the same lubra and chil