Wednesday, 29th.—­Started at seven A.M. and went on to the duck-holes, where we breakfasted coming down.  Halted there at 9.30 A.M. for a feed, and then moved on.  At the stones saw a lot of crows quarrelling about something near the water; found it to be a large fish, of which they had eaten a considerable portion.  As it was quite fresh and good, I decided the quarrel by taking it with me. . .It proved a most valuable addition to my otherwise scanty supper of nardoo porridge.  This evening I camped very comfortably in a mia-mia, about eleven miles from the depot.  The night was very cold, although not entirely cloudless.  A brisk easterly breeze sprang up in the morning, and blew freshly all day.  In the evening the sky clouded in, and there were one or two slight showers, but nothing to wet the ground.

Thursday, 30th May, 1861.—­Reached the depot this morning at eleven A.M.; no traces of any one except blacks having been here since we left.  Deposited some journals and a notice of our present condition.  Started back in the afternoon, and camped at the first waterhole.  Last night, being cloudy, was unusually warm and pleasant.

[Footnote:  The notice left in the cache ran as follows:—­

Depot Camp, May 30th.

We have been unable to leave the creek.  Both camels are dead, and our provisions are exhausted.  Mr. Burke and King are down the lower part of the creek.  I am about to return to them, when we shall probably come up this way.  We are trying to live the best way we can, like the blacks, but find it hard work.  Our clothes are going to pieces fast.  Send provisions and clothes as soon as possible.

W.J.  Wills.

The depot party having left, contrary to instructions, has put us in this fix.  I have deposited some of my journals here for fear of accident.

W.J.W.]

Friday, 31st May, 1861.—­Decamped at 7.30 A.M., having first breakfasted; passed between the sandhills at nine A.M., and reached the blanket mia-mias at 10.40 A.M.; from there proceeded on to the rocks, where I arrived at 1.30 P.M., having delayed about half-an-hour on the road in gathering some portulac.  It had been a fine morning, but the sky now became overcast, and threatened to set in for steady rain; and as I felt very weak and tired, I only moved on about a mile further, and camped in a sheltered gully under some bushes.  Night clear and very cold; no wind; towards morning, sky became slightly overcast with cirrostratus clouds.

Saturday, 1st June, 1861.—­Started at 7.45 A.M.; passed the duck-holes at ten A.M. and my second camp up, at two P.M., having rested in the meantime about forty-five minutes.  Thought to have reached the blacks’ camp, or at least where Landa was bogged, but found myself altogether too weak and exhausted; in fact, had extreme difficulty in getting across the numerous little gullies, and was at last obliged to camp from sheer fatigue.  Night ultimately both clear and cloudy, with occasional showers.