miles in a north-east direction over high undulating rich ground with fine grass to a point commanding an extensive view of the surrounding country.  To the eastward I observed about ten miles distant a line of wooded country which probably fringes a stream flowing parallel to the Flinders River.  Having halted here I got the following observation, namely:  meridian altitude of the sun 74 degrees 8 minutes; latitude 20 degrees 48 minutes.  Jemmy and I started to overtake the party at 12.10; at 12.35 came south-east and by east over well-grassed land for one and a quarter mile and observed the recent tracks of a steer or cow; at 1.23 came south-east two and a quarter miles to the river over two kinds of country—­the first rich undulating ground with good grass, the second clay flats covered with grass and salt herbs and wooded with box.  In that short distance we crossed two watercourses from the east with good holes of water.  Not having found the tracks of our party we steered west-north-west and at 2.3, when we had ridden about two miles, we found them waiting for us.  As there was water and good grass here we encamped.  Distance today sixteen miles and three-quarters.

March 9.

As this was Sunday we rested ourselves and the horses; I make it a rule to fare better on Sunday than on other days so we had for breakfast damper, meat, and pigweed; for lunch, pea soup, and for dinner, cold rice and jam.  The country in this neighbourhood I named Hervey Downs.

March 10.

Today Mr. Bourne, Fisherman, and Jackey went in search of the beast that
I had seen traces of on Saturday.

March 11.

Mr. Bourne, Fisherman, and Jackey returned.  From Mr. Bourne I got the following report of their expedition: 

After following the tracts of the beast for about two miles down the river they found it had crossed and travelled out on the plains in a south-easterly direction; followed tracts for twenty miles to where they turned nearly east.  Up to this point they found water in several places but, in running the tracks for fifteen or twenty miles further, found none, and very reluctantly turned back (feeling satisfied that the beast had got too much start of them) at 4 p.m. to water and encamped.  They had no rations excepting an iguana and a few mussels.  These downs consist of loose brown loam, thickly covered with ironstone pebbles, and would be very good country if the roley-poley were not so prevalent.

March 12.  Camp 23, situated on the left bank of a shallow creek.

A carbine with a broken lock, belonging to Jemmy, the police-trooper, was left behind here.  We started this morning at 8.25; at 8.50 came south-east and by east one and a quarter mile and crossed the river at a place where the water has a fall of several feet over flags of sandstone; at 11.40 came east over rich well-wooded downs for eight and a quarter miles.  Jemmy and I having left our party and come about half