soil is of a rich black concretionary character.  The soil of the Bricklow scrub is a stiff clay, washed out by the rains into shallow holes, well known by the squatters under the name of melon-holes; the composing rock of the low ridges was a clayey sandstone (Psammite).  Sky cloudy; wind north-east; thermometer 80 degrees at 2 o’clock; the sunshine plant (Mimosa terminalis) was frequent on the black soil; a Swainsonia; an Anthericum, with allium leaf and fine large yellow blossoms; and another species with small blossoms, (Stypandra).

Oct. 9.—­Commenced with cloudy weather, threatening rain.  It cleared up, however, about 10 o’clock, and we had a very warm day.  We followed the course of the river for some time, which is fringed with Myal scrubs, separated by hills with fine open forest.  Finding that the river trended so considerably to the northward [It seems that northward here is merely miswritten for westward.—­(Ed.)], we left it at a westerly bend, hoping to make it again in a north-west direction.  Thus, we continued travelling through a beautiful undulating country, until arrested by a Bricklow scrub, which turned us to the south-west; after having skirted it, we were enabled to resume our course to W.N.W., until the decline of day made me look for water to the south-west.  The scrubs were awful, and threatened to surround us; but we succeeded in finding a fine large lagoon, probably filled by the drainage of the almost level country to the north-east.  No water-course, not the slightest channel produced by heavy rains, was visible to indicate the flow of waters.  Occasionally we met with swampy ground, covered with reeds, and with some standing water of the last rains; the ground was so rotten, that the horses and bullocks sunk into it over the fetlocks.  The principal timber trees here, are the bastard box, the flooded-gum, and the Moreton Bay ash; in the Myal scrub, Coxen’s Acacia attains a very considerable size; we saw also some Ironbark trees.

The tracks and dung of cattle were observed; and this was the farthest point to the westward where we met with them.  Kangaroos seemed to be very rare; but kangaroo rats were numerous.  Black-fellows were very near to us last night; they very probably withdrew upon seeing us make our appearance.

Oct. 10.—­Cloudy; wind northerly; thermometer at 2h. 30m.  P. M. 88 degrees.  At about 1 1/2 or 2 miles distance, in a north-west direction from our last camp, we came to a fine running creek from the north-east, which we easily crossed; and, at about one mile farther, reached a creek—­which, at this time of the year, is a chain of lagoons—­lined on both sides by Bricklow scrub, which occupied a portion of its limited flats in little points and detached groves.  This vale was one of the most picturesque spots we had yet seen.  An Ironbark tree, with greyish fissured bark and pale-green foliage, grows here, and Sterculia heterophylla is pretty frequent