Friday, 22nd March, 1861.—­Muddy Camp, 34R.—­Had an early breakfast this morning, and started before sunrise.  Found that the wet swampy ground that checked our progress last night was only a narrow strip, and that had we gone a little further we might have made a fine journey.  The country consisted of open, well-grassed, pebbly plains, intersected by numerous small channels, all containing water.  Abundance of fine rich portulac was just bursting into flower along all these channels, as well as on the greater portion of the plain.  The creek that we camped on last night ran nearly parallel with us throughout this stage.  We should have crossed it, to avoid the stony plains, but were prevented by the flood from so doing.

Saturday, 23rd March, 1861.—­Mosquito Camp, 35R.—­Started at a quarter to six and followed down the creek, which has much of the characteristic appearance of the River Burke, where we crossed it on our up journey.  The land in the vicinity greatly improves as one goes down, becoming less stony and better grassed.  At eleven o’clock we crossed a small tributary from the eastward, and there was a distant range of considerable extent visible in that direction.  Halted for the afternoon in a bend where there was tolerable feed, but the banks are everywhere more or less scrubby.

Sunday, 24th March, 1861.—­Three-hour Camp, 36R.

Monday, 25th March, 1861.—­Native-Dog Camp, 37R.—­Started at half-past five, looking for a good place to halt for the day.  This we found at a short distance down the creek, and immediately discovered that it was close to Camp 89 of our up journey.  Had not expected that we were so much to the westward.  After breakfast, took some time-altitudes, and was about to go back to last camp for some things that had been left, when I found Gray behind a tree eating skilligolee.  He explained that he was suffering from dysentery, and had taken the flour without leave.  Sent him to report himself to Mr. Burke, and went on.  He, having got King to tell Mr. Burke for him, was called up, and received a good thrashing.  There is no knowing to what extent he has been robbing us.  Many things have been found to run unaccountably short.  Started at seven o’clock, the camels in first-rate spirits.  We followed our old course back (south).  The first portion of the plains had much the same appearance as when we came up, but that near Camp 88, which then looked so fresh and green, is now very much dried up; and we saw no signs of water anywhere.  In fact, there seems to have been little or no rain about here since we passed.  Soon after three o’clock we struck the first of several small creeks or billibongs, which must be portions of the creek with the deep channel that we crossed on going up, we being now rather to the westward of our former course.  From here, after traversing about two miles of the barest clay plain, devoid of all vegetation, we reached a small watercourse, most of the holes in which contained some water of