Knowing that plains with just a sufficiency of trees for firewood and shade has proved better than any other for pastoral purposes, this country delighted me; but I must say it would please me more if there were a few high hills in the distance.  I was however charmed with the landscape around the camp this morning.  In the foreground I saw fine box, excoecaria, and other trees festooned with beautiful cumbering creepers, and beyond them the horses feeding on a fine grassy plain extending to the north and eastward to apparently distant blue mountains.  As the day advanced this picture unfortunately lost a portion of its beauty by the disappearance of anything like mountains in the distant horizon.  We started at 8.14 a.m.; and at 11.40 came east for ten miles along a plain behind the wooded country near the river, but further back it is either covered with roley-poley and pigweed or with young grasses which I am afraid are annuals.  Yet notwithstanding these drawbacks it is a very fine country, and if care is taken by the future occupiers not to overstock it sheep and cattle will do remarkably well upon it.  When it is occupied it should be improved by having seeds sown during the beginning of the wet season to produce plants with deep roots which will take the place of the annuals.  If this was done and tanks and wells made in the back country the land would probably carry at least twice the quantity of stock it could now; but to get improvements of that character made a freehold tenure would probably be required.  At 11.40 Jemmy and I waited behind the main party on this extensive plain and made an observation of the sun, namely, meridian altitude 74 degrees 34 minutes; latitude 20 degrees 37 minutes 30 seconds.  Started on the track of our companions at 12.10; at 2.14 came south-east and by east for six miles over well-grassed plains and overtook the main party.  At a shallow watercourse surrounded by rushes and polygonum I got off my horse to get a drink and carelessly let him out of my hands.  In a second he scampered off to the other horses.  Jackey however soon brought him back to me.  At 2.50 came south-east for about three-quarters of a mile and encamped.  Distance this day sixteen and three-quarter miles.

March 8.  Camp 22, situated on the right bank of the Flinders River.

The river presents here a fine sheet of water; the channel has the appearance of draining a large tract of country and is as large-looking as the Nogoa River at its junction with the Comet River.  Left camp this morning at 8.1; at 8.55 came east and by south for two and three-quarter miles along a plain behind the wooded country skirting the river to an eastern channel of the river and delayed five minutes to get water; at 11.40 came north-east a mile and a half; then east five and a quarter miles over gently undulating rich land, green with herbage and wooded with box; crossed a small creek near its junction with the river; Jemmy and I here left the party and cantered for two