Wind north and east.  Started with Middleton to ascertain if the flood is really coming down or not; followed this creek round my way and was quite astonished at the number of natives I saw—­they must have been considerably over three hundred—­and I am satisfied that I did not see them all as I did not go quite up to their camp; we had no conception that there were any such numbers so close to us, a distance of only some six or seven miles.  There are myriads of fish of various kinds.  There was a camp close by till yesterday, within less than half a mile, but I never saw more than one hundred in it at one time—­averaging from forty to sixty.  They pass our camp with their nets to drag the creek between this and the lake, and come back loaded with the denizens of the creek; they are not at all liberal with them.  I should be sorry to trust to their hospitality or generosity as I think they possess but little of either of those qualities.  Arrived at Browne’s Creek, at the place named by natives for the arrival of the flood, but found their tale false—­they saw me on my way there and I suppose knew my errand—­some of shallowest waters in the upper holes of the creek had dried up since I saw them last but there is abundance lower down.

Thursday, January 30.

Wind east.  Camp, Hayward’s Creek.  Natives kept much aloof today, I suppose in consequence of my finding their piece of gratuitous information false.  Self and all the party affected with griping and vomiting with the exception of Middleton and Davis.  Cannot make out the cause; I wish it would rain that I could start through the desert out of this and get on to the waters to north and west of this, and be doing something, as this sort of life is worse than hard work on the constitution.  There is one thing, this detention here has enabled us to have the backs of the working animals attended to better than we could otherwise have done, and they are all on splendid feed, but the flies and excessive heat of the sun is very much against the healing of any kind of sores or wounds.  I had occasion to bleed several of the horses and, from the mere incision caused by the fleam, the necks of several swelled up very much although every precaution was adopted.

Friday, January 31.

Started out to pick an easy track for the cart towards Moolianbrooana Lake; found a pretty good one on to the old cart tracks which will do; went then to ascertain how the waters were standing in Caunboogonannie, or Lake Jeannie, and found that, although there was still a very considerable quantity in the lake from the vast number of waterfowl upon it, and perhaps other causes, it had acquired a disagreeable taste, and I have no doubt that it will get quite unfit for use in a month or so if it does not receive a fresh supply during that time.  From a hole dug about eighteen inches from the water’s edge I had a drink and a pot of tea of excellent water; lots of natives round and in the lake, although round the margin I observed innumerable small fish (parrow) dead, washed in by the wind and ripple of the lake.  Our horses did not seem to admire the water but that I am not astonished at.