the main mass of ranges Wills Ranges, after the unfortunate gentleman who lost his life with poor Burke; then bearing 139 degrees for one and three-quarter miles; then a bearing of 155 degrees for six and a half miles, passing along and over sandhills and rich pasture, with cane swamps full of water, to south-east termination of sandhills.  Thousands of flock pigeons, some teal, and a new duck.  They have here commenced laying; several pigeons’ nests were found as we passed along, and a duck’s with eight or ten eggs in it; plenty of quail and other small birds.  Saw a bustard in the midst of the sandhills which bear 340 degrees.  To the north of this camp a short distance is a very strange round stone hill, capped with larger stone, which I have called Elliott’s Knob.  One native was seen today on the top of one of the stony ridges, but did not get within speaking distance of him; many tracks were discernible for the last eight miles.  From top of one of the stone hills to right of gap in range a perfect sea was before me from 298 degrees round north to 95 degrees, with nothing but here and there the tops of trees that line the creek only discernible, and sand and rock hills forming islands; and in the distance to north and west the hills that bound the vast expanse of water appear like islands far off in the ocean.

Friday, March 14.

Camp 11.  Started on bearing of 90 degrees for five miles to top of long stony ridges.  For the first two miles through swamp and water and sandhill, leaving on left hand a very nice lake, and on the right some little distance off a sand-ridge running along swamp; in the distance south is timber denoting a creek which forms this swamp and lakes—­the remaining three miles of the five very stony and bad travelling.  Immediately beyond me at the end of the five miles stretches a large dry bed of a lake eastward, with a considerable swamp to south round to 80 degrees, following the foot of a well-defined range, at the north-east termination of which range, visible from here, are several smaller and larger table-topped hills and gaps; then on bearing of 80 degrees, passing through an arm of dry lake; good travelling for nine and a half miles and camped on small sandhill at a claypan; the flood from three to four miles off to west of north; sandhills ahead.

Saturday, March 15.

Camp 12, or packsaddle camp, having left one of the bullock’s packsaddles on a tree.  Bearing 48 degrees for three and a half miles over very heavy country with spinifex and abundance of other grasses; one and a half miles further same course over stony and sandy rises.  A splendid tier of table-topped hills in the distance east and north; bearing of 65 degrees for two and a half miles, then bearing of 20 degrees over a flooded splendid swamp, principally, four and a half miles to a box creek where I will kill Ranger the bullock as he cannot travel.  Distance travelled today twelve miles.

Sunday, March 16.