Sunday, 16th December, 1860.—­The horse having been shod and our reports finished, we started at 6.40 A.M. for Eyre’s Creek, the party consisting of Mr. Burke, myself, King, and Charley, having with us six camels, one horse, and three months’ provisions.  We followed down the creek to the point where the sandstone ranges cross the creek, and were accompanied to that place by Brahe, who would return to take charge of the depot.  Down to this point the banks of the creek are very rugged and stony, but there is a tolerable supply of grass and salt bush in the vicinity.  A large tribe of blacks came pestering us to go to their camp and have a dance, which we declined.  They were very troublesome, and nothing but the threat to shoot them will keep them away.  They are, however, easily frightened; and, although fine-looking men, decidedly not of a warlike disposition.  They show the greatest inclination to take whatever they can, but will run no unnecessary risk in so doing.  They seldom carry any weapon, except a shield and a large kind of boomerang, which I believe they use for killing rats, etc.  Sometimes, but very seldom, they have a large spear; reed spears seem to be quite unknown to them.  They are undoubtedly a finer and better-looking race of men than the blacks on the Murray and Darling, and more peaceful; but in other respects I believe they will not compare favourably with them, for from the little we have seen of them, they appear to be mean-spirited and contemptible in every respect.

Monday, 17th December, 1860.—­We continued to follow down the creek.  Found its course very crooked, and the channel frequently dry for a considerable distance, and then forming into magnificent waterholes, abounding in water fowl of all kinds.  The country on each side is more open than on the upper part of the creek.  The soil on the plains is of a light earthy nature, supporting abundance of salt bush and grass.  Most of the plains are lightly timbered, and the ground is finer and not cracked up as at the head of the creek.  Left Camp 67 at ten minutes to six A.M., having breakfasted before leaving.  We followed the creek along from point to point, at first in a direction west-north-west for about twelve miles, then about north-west.  At about noon we passed the last water, a short distance beyond which the creek runs out on a polygonum flat [Footnote:  Polygonum Cunninghami.]; but the timber was so large and dense that it deceived us into the belief that there was a continuation of the channel.  On crossing the polygonum ground to where we expected to find the creek we became aware of our mistake.  Not thinking it advisable to chance the existence of water ahead, we camped at the end of a large but shallow sheet of water in the sandy bed of the creek.