Jan. 5.—­We moved down to the water-holes of the basaltic ridges, being about nine miles in a N.N.W. direction from our last camp.

At three o’clock a.m. clouds formed very rapidly over the whole sky—­which had been clear during the previous part of the night—­and threatened us with wet.  In the morning some few drops fell, with slight casterly winds; it cleared up, however, about nine o’clock a.m. with a northerly breeze.

Marsilea grows everywhere on the flats; and a fine little pea plant with a solitary red blossom, was found amongst the basaltic rocks round the water-hole.  We observed, growing along the creek, another species of Portulaca, with linear fleshy leaves, erect stem, and small yellow flowers; and a half-shrubby Malvaccous plant, with small clustered yellow blossoms:  the latter is common at the outside of scrubs in the Moreton Bay district.  We also remarked, within the scrub, a small tree, with bright-green foliage, and three-winged capsules slightly united at the base; and another small tree, with deep-green coloured leaves, and two-winged capsules united in all their length; the last is nearly allied to Dodonaea.

I never before saw nor heard so many cockatoos as I did at Comet Creek.  Swarms of them preceded us for one or two miles, from tree to tree, making the air ring with their incessant screams, and then returning in long flights to their favourite haunts, from which we had disturbed them.  We saw four kangaroos; and shot some bronze-winged pigeons; in the crop of one I found a small Helix with a long spire,—­a form I do not remember ever having seen before in the colony.  A considerable number of small brown snakes were living in the water-hole; they were generally seen in the shallow water with their heads above the surface, but, at our approach, dived into the deepest part of the hole.  Our daily allowance of flour was now reduced to three pounds.  Our provisions disappear rapidly, and the wear and tear of our clothes and harness is very great; but, as our wants increase, our desires become more easily satisfied.  The green hide furnishes ample means to preserve our shoes, by covering them with mocassins, and with materials for repairing the harness.  The latitude of this camp was 23 degrees 59 minutes 6 seconds.

Jan. 6.—­Leaving my companions at the camp well provided with both grass and water, I followed the creek, with Brown, in expectation of a long ride, as Messrs. Gilbert and Roper had been forward about nine miles in search of water, but without finding any.  We very soon left the open country, and entered the vilest scrub we had ever before encountered.  The parallel lines of lagoons disappeared, and the banks of the creek became very broken by gullies, so that the stiff soil of the neighbouring scrub, not being intercepted by lagoons, is washed by heavy rains into the bed of the creek, which was no longer sandy, but inclined to the formation of water-holes, the clay rendering it impervious to water.  The