Saturday, July 5.

Camp 28.  Dewless night as was also the night before and several others previous.  Very hot yesterday.  Last night during the whole night the sky was completely overcast and close, this morning the same.  The main creek here is well lined with gums and well-grown oaks, the bank fringed with reeds; low down is about fifty yards wide at the bottom level and twice that width at top and steep but grassed all down the slopes.  The forest over which we travelled yesterday was very much cut up with sudden and deep watercourses, making the travelling more difficult, and in many places was stony (brown stone).  Started at 8.23 a.m., the horses having ranged rather far.  Crossed the creek and on bearing of 22 degrees along it pretty good travelling through open timber, till at about two and three-quarter miles the creek came too close under a range to allow us to follow anywhere near its banks.  Ascended the range and at three miles the creek on the left changed course to from 40 to 45 degrees; sometimes to the north of that, at other times to the south of it.  At a short distance over the flat, after descending the range which was of no great elevation, came on the creek again and followed it on the above bearing.  As we struck the creek the footprints of two horses in the bed of the creek, and shortly after more and more, which at first led us to suppose that the country was stocked thus far up; but after following along in the bed we found the traces to be all about the same age and that some time back.  At length on right side of creek on the bank, at the distance on our last course of three and a quarter miles, we saw the remains of an old camp, ridge pole, and uprights, with the letter K cut on a couple of gumtrees, which at once led us to believe it was some party or other marking the boundaries of their runs.  Got up out of the creek at this place and went on bearing of about 20 to 25 degrees.  Immediately after starting on this bearing we passed over rather open ground with spinifex but not very strong.  The creek now out of sight on the left.  At three and one-eighth of a mile struck what I take to be the Burdekin, but no tracks of drays or stock of any kind up this length.  It flows east at this place.  Went about three-quarters of a mile on this course and two of the horses becoming knocked up I am obliged to halt.  What told upon them so much today was that the banks of the creek were so rugged we were obliged to travel in the loose sand in the bed of the creek.  We hope to make better progress tomorrow.  From here the river appears to flow about 15 degrees north of east but that won’t continue far; I imagine we are a little above the junction of the Perry with this river.  The bed of the Burdekin at this camp is about from 90 to 100 yards, and the strong-running stream is confined between bergues on the north side to a space of about twenty yards, and little better than knee-deep.  Only a few small fish visible.  Magnificent gums on its banks and plenty of excellent timber in every direction.  This will be a most difficult part of the country for drays travelling on account of the many steep-sided creeks.  At anything like a flood quite impracticable.