my intention to have taken the cart round to examine the lakes and creeks east and south of my present position; but as the sandhills are rather large and steep I will do it with the camels and horses, and merely today take the cart to a better place for camping during the time I am engaged at this work, and more on the course I wish to follow after this part of the work is finished.  Marked tree at camp MK (conjoined), 26, 27-12-61.  Horses, bullocks, camels, sheep all right, although dropped a lame ewe heavy in lamb last night which has not yet been recovered.  Started at 7.30 and went round northward one mile and crossed creek at four miles; got to a pretty little lake Wattiwidulo.  Abundance of good feed and water; natives round the lake; but on going about half mile to top of a small sandhill I then had opened to my view an extensive basin of water forming part of the lake continuing far off to south-west by south.  A splendid sheet of water which I have named Lake Hodgkinson after my second in command.  Course today 338 degrees.  Immediately on arrival here was completely besieged by the natives, male and female, young and old, for beads for necklaces which I distributed as far as they went, but it has much reduced my supply and leaves but a scanty remnant for the next lot we meet, as meet them we surely will in such a country as this, affording them as it does such a supply of food.  I will proceed with a couple of camels and some horses to the eastward a short distance to examine some lakes and creeks reported to be in that quarter, and will leave the remainder of the party in camp here till my return.  The country travelled over today though a short distance was very good—­plenty of grass on the sandhills of a good sort.  Although that veteran explorer Sturt must have passed not far from this in his last attempt to gain the centre of the continent he reported to have only fallen in with, or had reason to believe, there were but few natives.  How the large body of people that is scattered all over this part could have escaped him I cannot account for.  Go where you will you will find them in groups of fifties and hundreds, and often many more, and generally a jolly lot of fellows and all in capital condition.  As has been noticed by former explorers the females in number amongst the children are much greater than the males, but neither very numerous.  Amongst the adults (both sexes) they knock out the four front teeth of the upper jaw; but there are others both male and female that are quite perfect, more here than noticed anywhere else on the journey.  Killed a sheep on arrival here today to jerk for our coming journey to the east, but was so fat that the small flock had to be examined for a poorer one for that purpose.  That does not speak badly of the part of the country we are now in.

Sunday, December 29.

Camp at Wattiwidulo, or Lake Hodgkinson.  Just where we are encamped by it it does not appear to be deep, but to the south and west I fancy there is a good deal of water.  Wind south-west and exceedingly hot and sultry.  In the afternoon an old man arrived here from our old depot and reported that a party of whites had arrived at the late depot with a number of horses and were on their way this course from the settled districts.  What faith to put in the report it is difficult to say.  Ready to start east in the morning.