We are now in that position and not far from the place where Captain Sturt dreaded being overtaken by rain.  It is fearful to travel over but must make the best of it.  I am very glad indeed that we have been favoured with such a copious supply; although for a short time it may prevent my travelling it will be the means of enabling me to move about afterwards as I may think fit.  I wish I had a couple of months’ more rations of flour, tea, and sugar, as then I could thoroughly examine the country in this quarter; as it is I will do the best I can.  If this creek carries me much more to the north instead of going to the east as it now does I think it will take a run through to the Albert River; and if the steam-sloop Victoria, Captain Norman, has not sailed from there I think I will be able to get flour or biscuits in sufficient quantity to carry me back, and enable me to do all, or nearly so, that was required of me by the South Australian Government; if not at the Albert I will only be obliged to live the principal part of the return journey on animal food and what vegetables we may find from time to time—­it won’t be a very hard case but much more pleasant and agreeable if it can be obtained.  It is very boisterous.  Rain and wind from east-south-east.  The creek rising steadily; by the morning it will be nearly or quite on a level with the way by which I shall have to travel in the morning for the high ground.  It has a current of about three miles an hour, or similar to that of the Murray, for which reason I am led to believe that its chief source is some considerable distance away, although it receives innumerable tributaries on both sides above and below where I now am.  The rain as it falls upon these stone-clad hills runs off at once into the small creeks, thence into larger ones on the flat land, then into the main creek after filling the waterholes in their respective courses.  Towards evening it looks very dark and again threatens much for a quantity of rain; if so by morning we shall have the creek high.

Saturday, March 1.

At first blush of dawn wind from same quarter (east-south-east).  Rained heavily all night and to my astonishment, instead of the creek rising as usual (three and a half inches per hour) it was now rising five and a half inches and hourly increasing.  Although the creek has in many places overflown its banks, and consequently a much broader channel, we are completely surrounded with at least five feet of water in the shallowest place that we can escape from this by.  After a breakfast by daybreak the animals are immediately sent for and, as the men start for them, drive before them our sheep for more than half a mile through a strong current, and swimming three-fourths of the time; they went over splendidly and were left on a piece of dry land until our camels and horses came and removed the stores etc., which fortunately they did with not very many of the things getting wet.  The camels being brought in and loaded and