to the route we had come, I was rather at a loss which way to go.  I judged however that the horses would take us to the river, so let them go their own way.  At 4 in the morning, when we had travelled for some time in a north-east direction, we stopped and tied up the horses till 7.10.  Yesterday we went in the following courses:  11.35 south for one and three-quarter mile; 1.49 south for two and a quarter miles to Bourne’s Creek; 2.25 south and by east for one and three-quarter mile; 2.50 south by west for one and a quarter mile; 3.40 south-east for two and a half miles; 4.10 south and by east for one and a half miles; 6.30 south-east for six and a quarter miles to dry watercourse.  Total distance seventeen and a quarter miles.

April 8.

We started for camp this morning and reached it in about eight and a half miles.  The country we saw in this journey in search of water, in the direction of the river to the southwards, only wants a few showers to make it look as fine pastoral country as can be found anywhere.  Upon examining my sextant I found the index error was 39 degrees 1 minute.  Before I reached the Gulf of Carpentaria it was damaged during the wreck of a Firefly, and Lieutenant Woods kindly repaired it.  I now meant to adjust it and in doing so I was so unsuccessful as to make it useless.  We came this morning on the following course to camp:  8.40 west for four miles; 9 north-west by west one mile to our outward track; 10.10 south three and a half miles to camp.

April 9.

Jemmy and I left camp this morning, 9.5, in search of water on the route we wanted to go.  We went along the plains on the left bank of the river in a south and west direction for eight miles.  We expected to find in that distance a well-watered river which Jemmy understood the blacks to say formed the river a short distance below the camp.  As we had not found it there we went west and reached the river in about four and a half miles.  We then followed it down for about two miles in a southward direction where we found the blacks we had seen up the river.  Upon telling them we had not found water back from the river, and that we now wanted them to show us the road to the next river and would give them a tomahawk and a shirt for doing so, they promised if we would bring our party down the river they would do so.  We saw here two old gins and a little girl whom we had not seen before.  One of the gins was a disfigured-looking object; she had lost her nose and lips.  The little girl was about four years old; she had good features and was fat and plump.  To please the blacks we let one of the little boys ride a horse for a short distance.  After asking them to remain in this neighbourhood we returned to camp.

April 10.