fine Cycas palms, from eight to ten feet high, and the stem from six to nine inches in diameter.  High rocky sandstone ridges extended on the same side, in a direction parallel to the river, and at the distance of two or three miles.  They were covered with scrub, open box, and stringy-bark forest; and the wallabi and kangaroo tracks going down to the river, were very numerous.  The appearance of the Cypress pine, which formed groups within the stringy-bark forest, and particularly on the rises and sandy slopes, was of a most striking character.  A new species of Grevillea, and also of Calythrix, were found in blossom.  Beyond the ridges, the stringy-bark forest was obstructed by the leguminous shrub with broad stem (Bossiaea).  Several Pandanus creeks went down to the north-east; and the second contained a little water.  After travelling about twelve miles to the north-west by north, we encamped at a fine creek with large pools of water, in lat. 16 degrees 21 minutes.  During the night, we heard the well-known note of what we called the “Glucking bird,” when we first met with it, in the Cypress pine country, at the early part of our expedition.  Its re-appearance with the Cypress pine corroborated my supposition, that the bird lived on the seeds of that tree.

Sept. 11.—­We travelled about twelve miles north by west, over a country in which scrub, stringy-bark forest, and Cypress pine thickets alternated.  We passed some patches of broad-leaved tea-tree forest.  The raspberry-jam tree became again more frequent.  About a mile from the camp, we crossed a small creek with water; and at seven miles further, another, but it was dry; and, at the end of the stage we came to a fine sandy creek with large pools.  Seeing that the natives had encamped here frequently, and some very lately, by the heaps of broken Pandanus fruit, I did not hesitate to pitch our tents; but, on examining the water, I was greatly disappointed in finding it so brackish that the horses and cattle would not drink it.  I, therefore, started with Charley in search of better, and, in the upper part of the creek, we found some large water-holes just dried up:  but, on digging, they yielded an ample supply of good water.  On this little excursion, we were fortunate enough, by the aid of Spring, to kill two emus; but the poor dog again received some deep scratches.

The camps of the natives were, as usual, distinguished by heaps of shells of Cytherea, oysters, fresh-water mussels, and fish bones.  The fresh-water mussel was small, and of a yellowish colour.

We had some few drops of rain at about half-past 11 o’clock, A. M,

Sept. 12.—­The horses, though hobbled, had strayed so far in search of water, that we had to wait for them until 1 o’clock.  We started, however, but, after travelling a short distance, finding the day far advanced, and our chance of finding water very doubtful, I determined to return to the water-hole which we had dug yesterday; about two miles and a half west by south.  The flats of the creek were well-grassed; large drooping tea-trees with groves of Pandanus grew on the hollows near the creek, and tea-tree thickets farther off.