April 6 and 7.—­Earthy flats, cut into innumerable water courses, succeeded by fine open plains, generally very bare, but having in some places patches of fine salt bush.  The dead stalks of portulac and mallows show that those plants are very plentiful in some seasons.  Towards noon came upon earthy plains and numerous billibongs.  The next day the water and feed much dried up, and nearly all the water has a slightly brackish taste of a peculiar kind, somewhat resembling in flavour potassio-tartrate of soda (cream of tartar).

On the 8th, poor Gray, suffering under the bad odour of his peculations, was thought to be pretending illness, because he could not walk, and my son, when he was himself ill, much regretted their suspicions on this point; but it appears from King’s evidence, that Gray’s excuse for using the provisions surreptitiously, that he was attacked by dysentery, was without foundation.

Monday, April 8.—­Camp 50R.—­Camped a short distance above Camp 75.  The creek here contains more water, and there is a considerable quantity of green grass in its bed, but it is much dried up since we passed before.  Halted fifteen minutes to send back for Gray, who pretended that he could not walk.  Some good showers must have fallen lately, as we have passed surface water on the plains every day.  In the latter portion of to-day’s journey, the young grass and portulac are springing freshly in the flats, and on the sides of the sand ridges.

Tuesday, April 9.—­Camp 51R.—­Camped on the bank of the creek, where there is a regular field of salt bush, as well as some grass in its bed, very acceptable to the horse, who has not had a proper feed for the last week until last night, and is, consequently, nearly knocked up.

Wednesday, April 10.—­Camp 52R.—­Remained at Camp 52 R all day, to cut up and jerk the meat of the horse Billy, who was so reduced and knocked up for want of food that there appeared little chance of his reaching the other side of the desert; and as we were running short of food of every description ourselves, we thought it best to secure his flesh at once.  We found it healthy and tender, but without the slightest trace of fat in any portion of the body.

. . .

In the journal to the Fifteenth, there is nothing worthy of note; there were watercourses daily, the character of the country the same; the plants chiefly chrysanthemums and salt bush.  On the latter day it rained heavily, commenced at five in the morning, and continued pretty steadily throughout the day.  The camel, Linda, got knocked up owing to the wet, and having to cross numerous sand ridges; and at four o’clock they had to halt at a clay-pan among the sandhills.

On Wednesday, the 17th, my son notes the death of poor Gray:  “He had not spoken a word distinctly since his first attack, which was just about as we were going to start.”  Here King mentions that they remained one day to bury Gray.  They were so weak, he said, that it was with difficulty they could dig a grave sufficiently deep to inter him in.  This is not in the journal, but in King’s narrative.