. At night too after dark
we found that a party of natives were watching also for an opportunity
to participate in so indispensable a necessary, which having secured,
they departed, and we saw nothing more of them. I observed the latitude
at this camp to be 33 degrees 7 minutes 14 seconds S. and the variation
8 degrees 53 minutes E.

June 30.--Our road to day was much better, and less interrupted by
gullies, though we still kept close under Flinders range. We traversed a
great extent of plain land which was generally stony, but grassy, and
tolerably well adapted for sheep runs. Several watercourses take their
rise from this range, with a westerly direction towards the gulf, these
were all dry when we crossed them, but their course was indicated by gum
trees, and as some of the channels were wide and large, and had strong
traces of occasional high floods, I rode for many miles down one of the
most promising, but without being able to find a drop of water. At noon
our latitude was 32 degrees 59 minutes 8 seconds, S.

Late in the afternoon we reached a watercourse, which I had previously
named "Myall Ponds," [Note 4: Myall is in some parts of New Holland, the
native name for the Acacia pendula.] from the many and beautiful Acacia
pendula trees that grew upon its banks. There I knew we could get water,
and at once halted the party for the night. Upon going to examine the
supply I was again disappointed at finding it so much less than when I had
been here in 1839. This did not augur well for our future prospects, and
gave me considerable anxiety relative to our future movements.

For some days past the whole party had fully entered upon their
respective duties, each knew exactly what he had to do, and was beginning
to get accustomed to its performance, so that every thing went on
smoothly and prosperously. My own time, when not personally engaged in
conducting the party, was occupied in keeping the journals and charts,
etc. in taking and working observations--in the daily register of the
barometer, thermometer, winds, and weather, and in collecting specimens
of flowers, or minerals. My young friend, Mr. Scott, was kept equally
busy; for in many of these duties he assisted me, and in some relieved me
altogether; the regular entry of the meteorological observations, and the
collecting of flowers or shrubs generally fell to his share;
independently of which he was the only sportsman in the party, and upon
his gun we were depe