January 26.

A clear morning with a fine breeze; the thermometer which had ranged from 90 to 108 degrees during the two last months stood now at 64 degrees.  To breathe such refreshing air and not move forward was extremely irksome.  The river rose this day a quarter of an inch.  Thermometer at six 64 degrees.  Wind south.  At noon 86 degrees.

NATIVES APPROACH IN THE NIGHT.

In the evening the sky became overcast with a cold and stormy wind.  At ten P.M.  I was called out of my tent to look at a firestick which appeared in motion amongst the trees north-eastward of our camp.  We had seen no natives, but their habit of carrying a light whenever they stir at night (which they do but seldom) is well known; and the light we then saw moved in the direction of our horses and saw-pit.  Our numbers did not admit of our keeping a watch, and although I had ordered the men to bring dogs on this ride they had brought none; we could only therefore lie down and trust to Providence.

VIEW FROM ONE TREE FASTENED TO ANOTHER.

January 27.

The clear cool weather continuing I endeavoured to obtain a view of the horizon from a tree raised by block and tackle to the top of another; but no point of high land appeared on any side to break a woody horizon as level as the sea.  At six A.M. thermometer 70 degrees; wind south.

The natives to the number of ten or twelve appeared on the opposite bank.  Our attention was first drawn to them by the snorting and starting of the horses which happened to be grazing by the riverside.  On seeing us approach they suddenly disappeared.  About a dozen eggs, white, and the size of those of a blackbird, were found by one of the men in the sand near the riverbank.  Each contained a perfectly formed lacertine reptile.  This morning my attention was drawn by a noise resembling the growl of a dog, when I perceived a black insect nearly as large as a bird carrying something like a grasshopper, alight, and disappear in a hole.  On digging, it suddenly arose from amidst the dust and escaped; but we found there several large larvae; this was the most bulky insect I ever saw.  A beautiful species of stilbum frequently visited my tent; its buzz, having two distinct notes, had a very pleasing sound.  The sandy banks abounded with a species of monedula, and others of the Bembecidae tribe.  In dead trees we found the Scutellera corallifera as described in the Appendix to Captain King’s voyage.

This day the river fell nearly an inch.

MR. WHITE ARRIVES WITH THE PARTY AND LOST MAN.

January 28.

Mr. White arrived with the carts and the depot party, including Souter, The Doctor, who had wandered from our camp in search of water on the 21st instant.

DETAINED BY NATIVES.

His story was that on going about six miles from the camp he lost his way, and fell in with the blacks, who detained him one day and two nights, but having at length effected his escape while they were asleep early on the second morning, he had made the best of his way towards the Gwydir, and thus reached the depot camp.