Dec. 8.—­I travelled with my whole party over the ground which I had reconnoitred yesterday, and had to go a considerable distance farther to find water.  Along the scrubs there are generally chains of water-holes, which retain the water for a long time, and are soon filled by heavy thunderstorms; they are well puddled with clay, and, therefore, become dry almost exclusively by evaporation.  Our camp was about eight miles N.N.W. from the last.

The feed was all parched up:  the native carrot, which was so green when we passed Darling Downs, was here withered and in seed.  Immense stretches of forest had been lately burned, and no trace of vegetation remained.  Partridge-pigeons were very numerous, and the tracks of kangaroos and wallabies were like sheep-walks.  Charley saw an emu; but an iguana and a partridge-pigeon were the only addition to our night’s mess.

The sky was covered by a thin haze, occasioned by extensive bush fires.  A fine breeze, which sprung up at eleven o’clock, from the northward, made travelling very agreeable.  We enjoy no meal so much as our tea and damper at luncheon, when we encamp between twelve and two o’clock.  It is remarkable how readily the tea dispels every feeling of fatigue, without the slightest subsequent injury of health.

Paludinas and Unios were very frequent in the water-holes.  The silver-leaved Ironbark (Eucalyptus pulverulentus) was here coming into blossom.  The whole vegetation seemed to feel the heat of an almost vertical sun; and, with the exception of the fresh green of the Vitex shrub, the silver-leaved Bricklow, and those patches of young grass which had been burnt about a month before—­all nature looked withered.  It was very hot from nine o’clock to eleven, when the cooling northerly breeze usually sets in.

Upon reaching the place of our next camp, Mr. Roper went to cut tent-poles, but, perhaps too intent on finding good ones, unfortunately lost his way, and wandered about the bush for about five miles before we were able to make him hear our cooees.  Accidents of this kind happen very easily in a wooded country, where there is no leading range or watercourse to guide the rambler, or when sufficient care is not taken to mark and keep the direction of the camp.

Dec. 9.—­The haze of yesterday cleared up at sunset, after having formed two threatening masses of clouds in the east and in the west, united by a broad belt of mare’s tails across the sky.  It became cloudy again, and prevented my taking observations during the night; the morning was cool and agreeable, clearing up about eleven o’clock; the northerly wind stirring, as usual.  Proceeding on our journey, we travelled about nine miles W.N.W. over a Box flat, with stiff soil and melon-holes; after a few miles, it changed into an open silver-leaved Ironbark forest, with lighter soil.  About six miles from our last camp, we came upon a fine creek (with Casuarinas and palm-trees), flowing from the mountains on a north-easterly