Camp 23.  A little dew early part of the night, but little the remainder.  Keen cold wind from all quarters, chiefly from north-east to south-east and clear sky; if it continues will suit our meat-drying well, which will be of vast advantage to us; to lose the flesh of another animal as we did the camel’s would indeed be a serious loss.  Our two patients Maitland and Kirby deadly sick; whatever can be wrong with them I can’t imagine; the latter has been ailing off and on for some time and has got dispirited in the rough country.  Busy this morning cutting up the flesh of the horse and tying it on the lines to dry; had he been in good condition it would take a good judge to distinguish his flesh from beef; it makes most excellent hash and soup.  One of our horses has mysteriously got lame in his stifle since coming here, I hope not permanently.

Wednesday, June 25.

Camp 23.  Wind the same as yesterday and fluctuating—­very heavy dew last night and very cold.  The last two days have been warm and suit our purpose for meat-drying admirably.  The two invalids are still very unwell, but trust they will be better by the time the meat is thoroughly dry and cause us no unnecessary detention till we get into the stations on the river Burdekin, where they can have a change of food.  The horses appear to benefit on this spell and feed.

Thursday, June 26.

Still in Camp 23.  Heavy dew, foggy morning till about 10 a.m. when the meat was hung out to dry.  Wind from all quarters but turned out rather a nice warm day, and will be about sufficient to dry our meat to enable us to start in the morning.  Shoeing some of the horses that cast their shoes over the rough country, and preparing for a start; the lame horse is a little better; the invalids I cannot say are much improved.  There is a great scope of good pastoral land here but rather hilly.  I have made up my mind to try what appears to be the easiest and, from here, the straightest course on a bearing of 110 degrees.  The drainage appears to go from here firstly to the south-east, receiving all the drainage of the large ranges apparently from 110 degrees round to south, when it appears to turn suddenly round some prominent ranges after receiving drainage from the westward of this, and uniting in one large watercourse and flowing behind a large leading range to south and east.  Probably the head of the River Clarke takes its rise here.

Friday, June 27.

Wind as usual for the last few mornings—­northerly; heavy dew but a beautiful morning.  The natives were busy grass-burning south-south-east of this in the valley last afternoon.  It was observed too late or I would have gone down to them and might have got some information from them as regards the courses of the different creeks, etc. etc., and probably the whereabouts of the nearest station on the Burdekin or one of its tributaries, so that we might be enabled to get a supply of food by the time this is exhausted.