by west, which took us down rich plains with the river trees in sight along our course; at 9.45 made two miles and three-quarters north; at 11.15 made four miles and a half north, which course took us out of sight of the trees on the river, over a similar country to that I have described where we stopped for Mr. Allison to take an observation of the sun, and for Mr. Campbell and Fisherman, who were behind, to come up.  Observations:  altitude 86.52, latitude 18 degrees 18 minutes; we started again at 12.34 p.m.; at 1.17 made two miles north-west to where we crossed to the left side of eastern channel; at 1.35 made one mile north-west to watercourse with fine stream of water; at 1.50 made three-quarters of a mile north, where we watered the horses, and started again at 4.25; at 4.33 made a quarter of a mile about north where Jemmy and I encamped last Monday night; at 4.5 made one mile north-north-east to where we crossed to left side of eastern watercourse; at 5.24 made one mile and a half north-north-east over a thickly-grassed slightly-wooded plain with flood-marks on it; at 6.2 made one mile and three-quarters north over a similar country, slightly timbered with flooded box; at 6.13 made half a mile north-north-west; at 6.35 made three-quarters of a mile north-west by north over similar country; then crossed during a thunderstorm to left side of eastern channel of watercourse; at 7.15 made one mile and a half west by north to the main channel of Beames Brook which has a fine stream of water only a few feet below the level plains on each side of it.  The water was muddy from the recent shower and in consequence anything but pleasant.  Mosquitoes were very numerous and allowed some of us but little sleep.

Thursday January 16.  Camp Number 37.  Situated on the right bank of Beames Brook.

We left here at 7.16; at 8.30 made three-quarters of a mile north-east by north to where we crossed to right side of an eastern channel of a watercourse; at 10.5 made four miles and a half north-north-east over level rich country, slightly timbered with stunted box and a small tree like the Queensland sandalwood, called by Mr. Walker the gutta-percha tree, and reached extensive plains; at 11.15 made three miles and a quarter north-north-east over fine rich plains with the tall trees of the banks of a watercourse in sight to the eastward:  at 11.32 made three-quarters of a mile north-north-west where we stopped on the plain, and Mr. Allison made the following observation of the sun:  altitude 86.45, latitude 18 degrees 0 minutes 50 seconds; started again at 12.58; at 1.10 made one mile and a half north over fine slightly timbered downs, but from the want of rain the grass on them was rather brown, to where we crossed to the right bank of a watercourse (Barkly River) with high flood-marks, but at present without water; at 1.20 made half a mile north where we recrossed it; at 2.25 made three miles north to where we crossed again to left side without finding water; we passed at this place a number of blacks perched in the trees; at 3 made a quarter of a mile north to where we stopped as we could not proceed in consequence of a heavy thunderstorm and the bogginess of the ground; at 4.35 made quarter of a mile south, then three-quarters of a mile northerly to where we formed our thirty-eighth camp on the left of the main watercourse (Barkly River).