When the rain ceased, we contrived to make a fire and boil a pot of tea, and warmed up a mess of gelatine-soup.  At eight o’clock the moon rose, and, as the weather had cleared, I decided upon returning to the camp, in order to hasten over this dreary country while the rain-water lasted.  The frogs were most lustily croaking in the water-holes which I had passed, a few hours before, perfectly dry and never were their hoarse voices more pleasing to me.  But the thunder-storm had been so very partial, that scarcely a drop had fallen at a distance of three miles.  This is another instance of the singularly partial distribution of water, which I had before noticed at Comet Creek.  We arrived at the camp about one o’clock a.m.; and, in the morning of the 25th February, I led my party to the water-holes, which a kind Providence seemed to have filled for the purpose of helping us over that thirsty and dreary land.  Our bullocks suffered severely from the heat; our fat-meat melted; our fat-bags poured out their contents; and every thing seemed to dissolve under the influence of a powerful sun.

The weather in this region may be thus described:  at sunrise some clouds collect in the east, but clear off during the first hours of the morning, with northerly, north-easterly, and easterly breezes; between ten and three o’clock the most scorching heat prevails, interrupted only by occasional puffs of cool air; about two o’clock P.M. heavy clouds form in all directions, increase in volume, unite in dark masses in the east and west, and, about five o’clock in the afternoon, the thunder-storm bursts; the gust of wind is very violent, and the rain sometimes slight, and at other times tremendous, but of short duration; and at nine o’clock the whole sky is clear again.

In the hollows along the Isaacs, we found a new species of grass from six to eight feet high, forming large tufts, in appearance like the oat-grass (Anthistiria) of the Liverpool Plains and Darling Downs; it has very long brown twisted beards, but is easily distinguished from Anthistiria by its simple ear; its young stem is very sweet, and much relished both by horses and cattle.

Feb. 26.—­I set out reconnoitring with Mr. Gilbert and Charley.  We found that the effects of the thunder-storm of the 24th extended very little to the north and north-west, having passed over from west to east.  From time to time we crossed low ridges covered with scrub, and cut through by deep gullies, stretching towards the river, which became narrower and very tortuous in its course; its line of flooded-gum trees, however, became more dense.  Within the reedy bed of the river, not quite five miles from the camp, we found wells of the natives, not a foot deep, but amply supplied with water, and, at four miles farther, we came to a water-hole, in a small creek, which had been supplied by the late rains; we also passed several fine scrub creeks, but they were dry.  About ten miles from the wells another