To collect the horses they had to go as far as ten miles in a north-west direction, to a saltwater creek which, from Mr. Campbell’s report, I believe is the River Nicholson.  On the following day I accompanied Mr. Campbell and the troopers to the Nicholson River.  The water in it we found not so brackish as that part of the Albert River where we left the ship.  I was surprised to find it was not so broad as the river I have just mentioned.  We encamped all night on the bank of the river, and near our camp marked a tree (broad arrow before L).  On the 30th we returned to the ship after getting the troopers to collect the horses and shoot a quantity of ducks.  By counting my steps I made the distance seven miles to a bend of the Albert River near which Moore’s Ponds are situated, and two miles and three-quarters further brought us to the point near which the ship had reached.  It is a grassy plain between the two rivers, with a few stunted trees upon it; that nearest the Nicholson River is the poorest soil, and the grass at present upon it is very much parched up.  A fine large enclosure for stock might be formed by running a fence across from the Albert to the Nicholson River.

On the 1st November we commenced making a yard for the horses and, having got the assistance of two of the carpenters, we commenced to shoe the horses.  On the 4th I got a passage in the barge to H.M.C.S.  Victoria, which was stationed at the distance of seven miles from the mouth of this river, to consult with yourself respecting the plan to be pursued in the search for Mr. Burke and his companions, and to express my earnest desire to have rations at the Albert River depot to make a second expedition by the route which Mr. Gregory and I agreed to as the most likely way to find traces to follow Mr. Burke and his companions—­namely by skirting the desert, and passing, as near as the country would admit of my doing, to their starting-point, and also to go to a place on the Bowen Downs (a well-watered country) to seek for a continuation of tracks seen by Messrs. Cornish and Buchanan, which they thought were made by a South Australian party, at a point rather less than 300 miles towards the Gulf of Carpentaria from Burke’s depot on Cooper’s Creek.

On the 6th instant we left the Victoria together (as you are aware) for the depot on the Albert River, and that evening after nine hours boating reached our destination.

On the following morning, having proceeded up the river on the previous day, reached the junction of the Barkly with the Albert River, near which we found the tree marked by Mr. Gregory and Captain Chimmo, the former on the left and the latter on the right bank; afterwards having marked lines of trees, and marked on trees directions to lead the exploring parties to the depot, we returned to it.

On the 15th, intending to start tomorrow on the inland expedition, I had all the horses, in number twenty-three, brought up, the two weak ones having died since our arrival at the Albert River, besides the five I mentioned as having died on the voyage.  We saddled and packed a few of the wildest of the horses* to make them more tractable tomorrow, when I hope, as I have mentioned, to start on our journey.