Saturday, 4th May, 1861.—­Night and morning very cold.  Sky clear, almost calm, occasionally a light breath of air from south.  Rajah appears to feel the cold very much.  He was so stiff this morning as to be scarcely able to get up with his load.  Started to return down the creek at 6.45, and halted for breakfast at 9 A.M., at the same spot as we breakfasted at yesterday.  Proceeding from there down the creek we soon found a repetition of the features that were exhibited by the creek examined on Thursday.  At a mile and a-half we came to the last waterhole, and below that the channel became more sandy and shallow, and continued to send off billibongs to the south and west, slightly changing its course each time until it disappeared altogether in a north-westerly direction.  Leaving King with the camel, we went on a mile or two to see if we could find water; and being unsuccessful we were obliged to return to where we had breakfasted as being the best place for feed and water.—­To Camp 10.

Sunday, 5th May, 1861.—­Started by myself, to reconnoitre the country in a southerly direction, leaving Mr. Burke and King with the camel at Camp 10.  Travelled south-west by south for two hours, following the course of the most southerly billibongs; found the earthy soil becoming more loose and cracked up, and the box track gradually disappearing.  Changed course to west for a high sand ridge, which I reached in one hour and a half, and continuing in the same direction to one still higher, obtained from it a good view of the surrounding country.  To the north were the extensive box forests bounding the creek on either side.  To the east earthy plains intersected by watercourses and lines of timber, and bounded in the distance by sand ridges.  To the south the projection of the sand ridge partially intercepted the view; the rest was composed of earthy plains, apparently clothed with chrysanthemums.  To the westward another but smaller plain was bounded also by high sand ridges running nearly parallel with the one on which I was standing.  This dreary prospect offering no encouragement to proceed, I returned to Camp 10 by a more direct and better route than I had come, passing over some good salt-bush land which borders on the billibongs to the westward.—­[Here follow some meteorological notes.]

From Camp 10 back to 9.

Monday, 6th May, 1861.—­Moved up the creek again to Camp 9, at the junction, to breakfast, and remained the day there.  The present state of things is not calculated to raise our spirits much; the rations are rapidly diminishing; our clothing, especially the boots, are all going to pieces, and we have not the materials for repairing them properly; the camel is completely done up and can scarcely get along, although he has the best of feed and is resting half his time.  I suppose this will end in our having to live like the blacks for a few months.

From Camp 9.

Tuesday, 7th May, 1861.—­Breakfasted at daylight; but when about to start, found that the camel would not rise even without any load on his back.  After making every attempt to get him up, we were obliged to leave him to himself.