Thursday, April 17.

Camp 39.  Beautiful morning.  Started on bearing of 305 degrees across an extensive myall, gum, and box flat, with innumerable tributaries into it in all directions.  General drain up to the south; water in many watercourses as we cross the flat, and must be an immense creek a little lower down, where they all unite.  Keep the course for eleven miles, crossing a fine open creek running northward, which I think is the same that we crossed this morning flowing south; then over spinifex ridges on bearing of 300 degrees onto a fine open flat.  Heavy ranges west.  Apparent fall of water northward; about four miles south of this and immediately over the open undulation at the distance the flow takes place south; on this last course two and a quarter miles; on bearing of 295 degrees for two miles, 293 degrees for two and a quarter miles over splendid country and camped at first creek we met with plenty of water.  Unfortunately Kirby with the sheep has got astray; and Hodgkinson, who was sent after him in the morning to swerve him from the course he was then on and bear up north for ours, came up to me in the midst of a spinifex range, whilst leading on the party, with the stupid information that he could not follow his tracks; and on being rated for so doing and sent back arrived at 10 p.m., and never got on his tracks again but says he went back to the camp we left in the morning—­for what purpose he only knows; in consequence the unfortunate man did not arrive at camp.  I will send after him first thing in the morning.  After getting into camp I rode out south towards the watershed but found it further off than I anticipated from this camp.  It must be from ten to fifteen miles and most excellent country.  The main range west from what I could see of it is very stony; few trees and a great abundance of kangaroo and other grasses.  Emu and kangaroo in abundance.  Range runs to east of north a little and to south of west a little and is formidable.  Distance travelled seventeen and a half miles.

Friday, April 18.

Camp 40.  First thing in the morning got the horses and started Middleton and Palmer to endeavour to trace the unfortunate man Kirby who has not made his appearance.  He must have had a bitter cold night of it; this morning south wind was as cold or colder than I have felt it for twelve months—­we were glad to get to the fire besides fortifying ourselves with warmer clothing than usual.  I with Poole started to cut his tracks if he came out through the range on his course through open country south of this, but were unsuccessful in finding any trace of him.  Middleton and Palmer got on his tracks and followed them to about dark when within a very short distance of our tracks here, and more than half the distance to this camp, and thought it not improbable, from the course he was then pursuing, that he had got to our camp and came home but the unfortunate had not; had he been followed the day before by Hodgkinson with the