From Camp 4.

Saturday, 27th April, 1861.—­First part of night clear, with a light breeze from south.  Temperature at midnight 10 degrees (Reaumur).  Towards morning there were a few cirrocumulus clouds passing over north-east to south-west, but these disappeared before daylight.  At five A.M. the temperature was 7.5 degrees (Reaumur).  We started at six o’clock, and following the native path, which at about a mile from our camp takes a southerly direction, we soon came to the high sandy alluvial deposit which separates the creek at this point from the stony rises.  Here we struck off from the path, keeping well to the south of the creek, in order that we might mess in a branch of it that took a southerly direction.  At 9. 20 we came in on the creek again where it runs due south, and halted for breakfast at a fine waterhole with fine fresh feed for the camels.  Here we remained until noon, when we moved on again, and camped at one o’clock on a general course, having been throughout the morning south-west eight miles.  The weather is most agreeable and pleasant; nothing could be more favourable for us up to the present time.  The temperature in the shade at 10.30 A.M. was 17.5 degrees (Reaumur), with a light breeze from south and a few small cirrocumulus clouds towards the north.  I greatly feel the want of more instruments, the only things I have left being my watch, prism compass, pocket compass, and one thermometer (Reaumur).—­To Camp 5.

From Camp 5.

Sunday, 28th April, 1861.—­Morning fine and calm, but rather chilly.  Started at 4.45 A.M., following down the bed of a creek in a westerly direction by moonlight.  Our stage was, however, very short for about a mile—­one of the camels (Landa) got bogged by the side of a waterhole, and although we tried every means in our power, we found it impossible to get him out.  All the ground beneath the surface was a bottomless quicksand, through which the beast sank too rapidly for us to get bushes of timber fairly beneath him; and being of a very sluggish stupid nature he could never be got to make sufficiently strenuous efforts towards extricating himself.  In the evening, as a last chance, we let the water in from the creek, so as to buoy him up and at the same time soften the ground about his legs; but it was of no avail.  The brute lay quietly in it, as if he quite enjoyed his position.—­To Camp 6.

Camp 6.

Monday, 29th April, 1861.—­Finding Landa still in the hole, we made a few attempts at extricating him, and then shot him, and after breakfast commenced cutting off what flesh we could get at for jerking.

Tuesday, 30th April, 1861.—­Remained here to-day for the purpose of drying the meat, for which process the weather is not very favourable. [Meteorological note follows.]

From Camp 6.