Feb. 24.—­Mr. Gilbert and Brown accompanied me this morning upon an excursion.  At about a mile and a-half from the camp, a large creek, apparently from the southward, joined the river, and water was found in a scrub creek four miles from the camp, also in wells made by the natives in the bed of the river; and, at about eight miles from the camp, we came upon some fine water-holes along the scrub.  Here the birds were very numerous and various; large flights of the blue-mountain and crimson-winged parrots were seen; Mr. Gilbert observed the female of the Regent-bird, and several other interesting birds, which made him regret to leave this spot so favourable to his pursuit.  He returned, however, to bring forward our camp to the place, whilst I continued my ride, accompanied by Brown.  Several creeks joined the river, but water was nowhere to be found.  The high grass was old and dry, or else so entirely burnt as not to leave the slightest sign of vegetation.  For several miles the whole forest was singed by a fire which had swept through it; and the whole country looked hopelessly wretched.  Brown had taken the precaution to fill Charley’s large calabash with water, so that we were enabled to make a refreshing cup of tea in the most scorching heat of the day.  Towards sunset we heard, to our great joy, the noisy jabbering of natives, which promised the neighbourhood of water.  I dismounted and cooeed; they answered; but when they saw me, they took such of their things as they could and crossed to the opposite side of the river in great hurry and confusion.  When Brown, who had stopped behind, came up to me, I took the calabash and put it to my mouth, and asked for “yarrai, yarrai.”  They answered, but their intended information was lost to me; and they were unwilling to approach us.  Their camp was in the bed of the river amongst some small Casuarinas.  Their numerous tracks, however, soon led me to two wells, surrounded by high reeds, where we quenched our thirst.  My horse was very much frightened by the great number of hornets buzzing about the water.  After filling our calabash, we returned to the camp of the natives, and examined the things which they had left behind; we found a shield, four calabashes, of which I took two, leaving in their place a bright penny, for payment; there were also, a small water-tight basket containing acacia-gum; some unravelled fibrous bark, used for straining honey; a fire-stick, neatly tied up in tea-tree bark; a kangaroo net; and two tomahawks, one of stone, and a smaller one of iron, made apparently of the head of a hammer:  a proof that they had had some communication with the sea-coast.  The natives had disappeared.  The thunder was pealing above us, and a rush of wind surprised us before we were half-a-mile from the camp, and we had barely time to throw our blanket over some sticks and creep under it, when the rain came down in torrents.  The storm came from the west; another was visible in the east; and lightning seemed to be everywhere.