to make the clay boggy.  At ten minutes to seven P.M., we moved on, steering straight for Eyre’s Creek, north-west by north, intending to make a good night’s journey and avoid the heat of the day; but at a mile and a half we came to a creek which looked so well that we followed it for a short distance, and finding two or three waterholes of good milky water we camped for the night.  This enabled me to secure an observation of the eclipse of Jupiter’s (I) satellite, as well as some latitude observations.  The night was so calm that I used the water as an horizon; but I find it much more satisfactory to take the mercury for several reasons.

Thursday, 20th December.—­We did not leave this camp until half-past eight, having delayed to refill the water-bags with the milky water, which all of us found to be a great treat again.  It is certainly more pleasant to drink than the clear water, and at the same time more satisfying.  Our course from here, north-west by north, took us through some pretty country, lightly timbered and well grassed.  We could see the line of creek timber winding through the valley on our left.  At a distance of five miles there was a bush fire on its banks, and beyond it the creek made a considerable bend to the south-west.  At two miles farther we came in sight of a large lagoon bearing north by west, and at three miles more we camped on what would seem the same creek as last night, near where it enters the lagoon.  The latter is of great extent and contains a large quantity of water, which swarms with wild fowl of every description.  It is very shallow, but is surrounded by the most pleasing woodland scenery, and everything in the vicinity looks fresh and green.  The creek near its junction with the lagoon contains some good waterholes five to six feet deep.  They are found in a sandy alluvium which is very boggy when wet.  There was a large camp of not less than forty or fifty blacks near where we stopped.  They brought us presents of fish, for which we gave them some beads and matches.  These fish we found to be a most valuable addition to our rations.  They were of the same kind as we had found elsewhere, but finer, being from nine to ten inches long, and two to three inches deep, and in such good condition that they might have been fried in their own fat.  It is a remarkable fact, that these were the first blacks who have offered us any fish since we reached Cooper’s Creek.

Friday, 21st December.—­We left Camp 70 at half-past five A.M., and tried to induce one or two of the blacks to go with us, but it was of no use.  Keeping our former course we were pulled up at three miles by a fine lagoon, and then by the creek that flows into it; the latter being full of water, we were obliged to trace it a mile up before we could cross.  I observed on its banks two wild plants of the gourd or melon tribe, one much resembling a stunted cucumber:  the other, both in leaf and appearance of fruit, was very similar to a small model