owed down, and in which a native dog betrayed
to us a deep pool of water, covered with Villarsia leaves, and surrounded
by Polygonums. Many of the dry water-holes we had passed were surrounded
by emu traps; the tracks of these birds were exceedingly numerous, A
grove of Pandanus was near the water on the sandy banks of the creek.

August 28.--We travelled about eleven miles N. N. W. to lat. 17 degrees 2
minutes 12 seconds, through the bleakest scrubby country we had ever met:
nothing but tea-tree scrub, and that not even cheered by the occasional
appearance of a gum tree, or of the blood-wood. After ten miles, we came
to a salt water creek, rocky, with detached pools of water and deposits
of salt. Following it up, we came to a well beaten foot-path of the
natives, which brought us in a short time to a good supply of drinkable,
though very brackish water. The sandstone hills before us and to the
northward, were covered with low shrubs and the broad-leaved tea-tree,
with wiry and stiff grasses, and looked very unpropitious. The rock was
composed of quartz pebbles of different colours, imbedded in a red clayey
paste.

We have commenced to carry with us not only our quart pots, but also our
two gallon pot full of water.

August 29.--We travelled to lat. 16 degrees 58 minutes 27 seconds long.
138 degrees 25 minutes; a distance of about eight miles N.N.W. and N.W.
over a more open country, with occasional patches of thick scrub. We
crossed several watercourses and creeks; and came to a small river which
flowed to the N. by E. and which I called the "Marlow," after Capt.
Marlow of the Royal Engineers, who had kindly assisted me in the outfit
of my expedition. We went down the river about two or three miles, and
came to a plentiful supply of water, which was indicated, a long time
before we arrived at it, by the call of the red-breasted cockatoos,
noticed a few days since; but which was probably only a variety of the
common species.

A low shrubby Acacia with sigmoid phyllodia was frequent on the hills. A
little fly-catcher (Givagone brevirostris?) charmed us with its pretty
note at our last camps. Bronze-winged pigeons were very numerous, and I
saw a pair of Geophaps plumifera rising from under a shady rock, as I was
riding down a rocky creek. Two black ducks and three cockatoos were shot;
the long reaches of water down the river were covered with water-fowl,
and Charley and Brown were so desirous of procuring some messes o