The night breeze set in at a quarter to 9 o’clock from north-east, or north by east, strong, full and warm; there was a slight moisture in the air before daybreak, which rendered our almost dry meat a little damp again.

We were occupied during the 8th Nov. in drying our meat, mending and washing our things, and arranging the few loads which were left.

Nov. 9.—­We travelled down the creek in a south-west course, for about nine miles.  Low sandstone ranges bounded its valley to the southward and south-east; stony ridges with stunted trees and Cypress-pine extended to the north-west.  The banks of the creek, which I called “Snowdrop’s Creek,” after the bullock we had killed, were grassy and open; it was well provided with water.  A pretty little Sida, a Convolvolus, and Grewia, were growing amongst the young grass.  Mr. Calvert saw the Livistona palm.

We felt a breeze from the eastward during the afternoon, as usual, and the strong night breeze from north and north-east; but, in the morning, a wind from north-west and west, which belonged probably to another system of atmospherical movements.

A swarm of whistling ducks (Leptotarsis Eytoni, Gould.) passed during the night from down the creek to the eastward, which made me suppose that Snowdrop’s Creek was either joined by large creeks with water, or that itself joined a larger river.  The black Ibis was frequent at the water-hole.

Nov. 10.—­We travelled about six miles and a half N. N. W. The creek turned so far to the westward and southward, that I left it, and crossed some ridges, beyond which a very rocky creek going down to Snowdrop’s Creek, intercepted our course.  Having crossed it with great difficulty, we travelled through a scrubby forest, and came to the heads of the same creek, several of which were formed by swamps.  Here the drooping tea-tree, growing in a sandy peat, attained a stately height.  The sandy slopes around the swamps were covered with Banksia, the Melaleuca gum, and Pandanus, and a rich profusion of grasses and low sedges surrounded the deep pools of spring water.  These spots, which bore the marks of being much visited by the natives, were like oases in the dry, dull, sandy forest, and formed delightful shady groves, pleasing to every sense.  Kangaroos and various birds, particularly the white cockatoo, were numerous; and the little bees came like flies on our hands, on my paper, and on our soup plates, and indicated abundance of honey; a small species of Cicada had risen from its slumbers, and was singing most cheerfully.  One of our horses was seriously staked in the belly, by some unaccountable accident; I drew a seton through the large swelling, although, considering its exhausted state, I entertained but a slight hope of its recovery.