sh; ate his heart, liver,
and kidneys, and found them excellent made into a sort of hash with a
little remnant of pepper we had.

Tuesday, June 24.

Camp 23. A little dew early part of the night, but little the remainder.
Keen cold wind from all quarters, chiefly from north-east to south-east
and clear sky; if it continues will suit our meat-drying well, which will
be of vast advantage to us; to lose the flesh of another animal as we did
the camel's would indeed be a serious loss. Our two patients Maitland and
Kirby deadly sick; whatever can be wrong with them I can't imagine; the
latter has been ailing off and on for some time and has got dispirited in
the rough country. Busy this morning cutting up the flesh of the horse
and tying it on the lines to dry; had he been in good condition it would
take a good judge to distinguish his flesh from beef; it makes most
excellent hash and soup. One of our horses has mysteriously got lame in
his stifle since coming here, I hope not permanently.

Wednesday, June 25.

Camp 23. Wind the same as yesterday and fluctuating--very heavy dew last
night and very cold. The last two days have been warm and suit our
purpose for meat-drying admirably. The two invalids are still very
unwell, but trust they will be better by the time the meat is thoroughly
dry and cause us no unnecessary detention till we get into the stations
on the river Burdekin, where they can have a change of food. The horses
appear to benefit on this spell and feed.

Thursday, June 26.

Still in Camp 23. Heavy dew, foggy morning till about 10 a.m. when the
meat was hung out to dry. Wind from all quarters but turned out rather a
nice warm day, and will be about sufficient to dry our meat to enable us
to start in the morning. Shoeing some of the horses that cast their shoes
over the rough country, and preparing for a start; the lame horse is a
little better; the invalids I cannot say are much improved. There is a
great scope of good pastoral land here but rather hilly. I have made up
my mind to try what appears to be the easiest and, from here, the
straightest course on a bearing of 110 degrees. The drainage appears to
go from here firstly to the south-east, receiving all the drainage of the
large ranges apparently from 110 degrees round to south, when it appears
to turn suddenly round some prominent ranges after receiving drainage
from the westward of this, and uniting in one large watercourse and
flowing behind a la