February 15.

We left Camp 5 at 7.58.  At 8.20, having crossed one mile and a half over a sandy flat, wooded with gum, fig, cotton, coral, white cedar, and other trees, we reached the flat rocky bed of a large watercourse. 8.50 one mile and a quarter up the creek and crossed it; then one mile and three-quarters over a fine plain with grass, pigweed, and salt herbs. 10.5 one mile and three-quarters took us over a barren low ridge, with rusty-gum, box, bloodwood, severn, and other trees, to a grassy watercourse with fine little holes of water; from its being boggy we were delayed in crossing until 10.25.  One mile and a half over grassy flats and across another watercourse coming from the eastward. 12.45, having gone over poor ridges for five miles, we reached a fine, rich, flat valley, luxuriantly covered with barley and other grasses; delayed until 1.58 while some of our party tried, without success, to shoot an emu. 2.30, having come about four and a quarter miles, we reached a watercourse and encamped; the water flows from the north-east and shows extensive flood-marks.  The valley I named Neumayer.  Direction today east-south-east; distance sixteen miles.

February 16.  Sunday.

Rested ourselves and horses.

February 17.

Left camp at 6.35.  Four and a half miles took us across low land, wooded chiefly with (what I take it to be) excoecaria; then a mile over unwooded, gently-undulating ground, which extended up the valley to little bald hills.  The land is well grassed.  A site near those hills would answer well for a lambing-ground for a sheep establishment.  Then a mile over high grassy lands, wooded with gum, broad-leaved box, white-wood, and other trees; then two miles further to near the base of a hill that was remarked from its only being wooded on its summit; then three and a half miles over undulating well-grassed ground to a small watercourse from the west; then three miles over flat poor country, thickly wooded with bloodwood and other trees; then three and a half miles over poor low ridges, covered with triodia and other grasses, and wooded with bloodwood, tea, severn, and other trees, to a small watercourse, where we encamped.  Direction today east by south half south; distance sixteen miles.

February 18.

We left Camp 7 (marked by mistake 8) at 8.16 this morning.  At 11.45 we had come nine miles and a half over two kinds of country—­the first and largest part consisting of poor low ridges, covered with inferior grasses and wooded with bloodwood, tea, and other trees; the second part consisting of flat country, rich soil, well grassed, and wooded with bauhinia and western-wood acacia.  The acacia I have mentioned is called gidya in some places of Australia.  Then, after crossing, in half a mile, a strip of unwooded country extending to the right and left of our course, we halted for thirty-five minutes to try and get the sun’s meridian altitude, but did not succeed as the sun was obscured.  Then, after coming over poor low ridges covered with triodia and wooded chiefly with tea trees for five and three-quarter miles, we reached at 2.45 a ravine and encamped.  Direction travelled this day east by south half south.