from west, with a shallow and broad channel; the banks of the river at this place are very little below the level of the plain on each side of it; at 10.10 made three miles south-south-west with level plains on each side of us, without trees or bushes, except along the watercourses; at 10.30 made one mile south to the right bank of the river, where there are twelve box-trees growing in its bed; before crossing to its left bank we got enough water to satisfy the horses; at 11.4 made one mile and a half south to a junction of a watercourse with extensive flood-marks from the east.  This river has a deeper channel, with trees on its banks, than the river we have been following down had.  At 11.15 made half a mile south, when Mr. Allison and I went back to the westward, on the plains, and got the following altitude of the sun:  86 degrees 37 minutes, which makes the latitude 20 degrees 11 minutes 15 seconds; at 1.35 made three-quarters of a mile south down the river; at 1.47 made a quarter of a mile south-east down the river; at 2.20 made one mile and a quarter south, following the course of the river in search of water; at 3.10 made one mile and three-quarters about south-south-west, following the course of the river in search of water; at 3.44 made half a mile about south-west, following the course of the river in search of water; at 4.10 made one mile and a quarter about south, where, accompanied by the troopers, I left Campbell and Allison to go in search of water; at 5.20 made three miles about south-west down the river in an unsuccessful search for water; at 6 made two miles north-east by east; returning, we steered over plains, the grass of which was completely parched up.  Near the creek I observed more owls than I have ever seen anywhere before; at 6.27 made one mile and a quarter north-east by east back to our party; then went, at 6.56, one mile and a quarter north by east, towards where we had seen the last water; at 7.15 made one mile north by east; at 7.35 made three-quarters of a mile north-east; at 8 made three-quarters of a mile about north-east by north and encamped.

Saturday December 28.  Camp Number 24, situated on the Herbert River.

We started back up the river being unable to pursue our course to the westward from want of water.  I sent Mr. Campbell and Jemmy on with the horses, while Mr. Allison and I went out on the plain to take an observation of the sun, which was not satisfactory from the sun being over-shadowed; we made the latitude 20 degrees 12 minutes 35 seconds; at 1.21 p.m. made three miles north by east from where we took the sun’s altitude; at 1.53 made one mile north to where we crossed a channel of the river; at 2.35 made two miles and a quarter north by east partly on the tracks of Campbell and party; at 2.50 made three-quarters of a mile north-north-east to where we recrossed left bank of the river and overtook Campbell and party.  Here we delayed till 3.22 in consequence of one of the horses being knocked up; at 3.40 made one mile north by east to where we recrossed the right bank of the river; at 3.55 made three-quarters of a mile and encamped.  Here the grass was very abundant and the holes full of water.  This camp is about half a mile from Number 23 Camp.