f black
ducks, that they did their best to persuade me to stop; but, being
anxious to escape from this scrubby country, I did not yield to their
solicitations.

The crops of the large cockatoos were filled with the young red shoots of
the Haemodorum, which were almost as pungent as chillis, but more
aromatic; the plant abounded on the sandy soil. The small cockatoo of the
plains, which we saw again in great numbers, seems to feed on a white
root and on the honey of the whole seed-vessel, or the flower-bud, of the
drooping tea-tree.

The first part of the night was clear, but it became foggy and cloudy
after midnight. In the morning, the dew was dropping from the trees, but
the grass and our things were not at all wet.

August 30.--We travelled about ten miles N. 60 degrees W. over a scrubby
though a little more open country, full of enormous massive ant-hills,
surpassing even those of Big Ant-Hill Creek, in height and circumference,
and came, at the distance of eight miles from our camp, to a low scrub on
sandy soil with shallow watercourses. Salicornia grew in abundance; and
emu tracks were very frequent. Coming on a broad foot-path of the
natives, I followed it to the south-west, and came to some fine fresh
water-holes in the bed of a creek, surrounded by high drooping tea trees,
which were in blossom and covered with swarms of white cockatoos. These
water-holes were in lat. 16 degrees 55 degrees, and situated to the
south-west of some low scrubby hills. We encamped in a grove of Pandanus.
The natives had just left, and the tea-tree bark was still smoking from
the fire which had spread from their camp.

Large flights of the small white cockatoo came to the water. The
flying-fox visited the blossoms of the tea-tree at night, and made an
incessant screeching noise. Charley shot one of them, which was very fat,
particularly between the shoulders and on the rump, and proved to be most
delicate eating.

August 31.--It rained the whole day; in consequence of which I gave my
cattle a rest. The rain came from the westward, but continued with a
southerly wind; it ceased with wind from the S.E. and E.S.E. Lightning
was observed to the south-west. We erected our tents for the first time
since Mr. Gilbert's death; using tarpaulings and blankets for the
purpose. Our shots amused themselves by shooting Blue Mountainers for the
pot; and a strange mess was made of cockatoo, Blue Mountainers, an eagle
hawk, and dried emu. I serv