7th November.

Started at 6.5 a.m., steering south-east; the whole country appeared perfectly level with brigalow scrub and patches of open sandy country, producing triodia and a little grass; the timber Moreton-Bay ash and box.  Towards noon the country was more open.  At 1.30 p.m. passed a shallow pool of rainwater at the edge of a scrub.  About a mile further on Melville’s horse fell, and so bruised his rider that we had to return to the water and camp.

Latitude by a Pegasi 22 degrees 23 minutes 36 seconds.

Horse-skin soup.

8th November.

The water being exhausted, the party had to move on in search of a further supply where we could halt until Melville had recovered from his injuries.  Steering south-east for one hour, came to a fine creek with grassy flats and a stream of muddy water, indicating that there had been heavy rain in the ranges to the south.  Having camped, we shot the filly, which was now eleven months old, cut the flesh into slices and hung it up to dry in the sun during the day and over a charcoal fire at night.  The skin was cleared of hair, and was thus made into a species of gelatine, from which excellent soup was subsequently prepared.  The saddlery had become much worn by passing through the scrubs, and the party was fully employed in repairs and shoeing the horses, many of which were very lame from injury among the fallen timber.

9th November (Sunday).

Melville somewhat better, but scarcely able to walk.  The meat drying well.

Latitude by a Pegasi 22 degrees 26 minutes 16 seconds.

10th November.

At 7.40 a.m. left the camp and followed the creek up for an hour south-south-east; then steered south-east through brigalow scrub, which gradually changed to open ironbark and box flats well grassed.  At 2.0 p.m. came to broken country covered with a dense scrub of acacia and ironbark, deep gullies intersecting the country in every direction; at 3.30 ascended a ridge of mica schist, from which a high range was seen twenty miles to the south-east, but the scrub was so dense that the view was imperfect.  Followed a gully, which changed from south round to north-west till 5.15, when we camped at a small pool of rainwater.  There were good grassy flats along the watercourse, but the hills were covered with scrub.  It is evident that we are now approaching the watershed of the Fitzroy River, and hope soon to emerge from the vast tract of scrub which occupies the valley of the Suttor River.  On the plain we observed that more than half the box-trees had died within the last three years, and that they had not been killed by bush fires, as the old timber which lay on the ground was not scorched.

Latitude by a Andromedae 22 degrees 42 minutes 13 seconds.

Peak range.

11th November.