Thursday, May 15.

Start Hodgkinson and Maitland on to Middleton and Poole’s camp with four horses, bedding, and provisions on such a course, 25 1/2 degrees west of north, as will cut their camp.  No tidings of the camels.  I went out and hunted about for them till noon, and just as I got to camp Bell and Davis returned, having camped out all night after them, but saw nothing of them—­the ground is so hard they leave so little impression on the ground that it is a difficult thing to trace them; however they have got bells and hobbles on and will at once be again sent after, with, I hope, more success.  I am exceedingly annoyed at the detention here, more so as the animals don’t do so well here as they have done.  Hunted still during the afternoon for them, but without success.  All spare hands will start out in search in the morning; it will be the sound of the bells or the sight of them only that will recover them, as track them we cannot in this dry country.  Promised the party a treat on arriving within the influence of the sea on the north coast, so had baked some flour kept in reserve and each had a liberal allowance served out to him—­that with fresh and excellent mutton and some salt I brought back from the flats gave all quite a treat.  Sent Poole and Middleton theirs on by Hodgkinson and Maitland, which in their present half-starved condition would be a still greater treat.  We would all have been in better spirits had the camels not been absent, but will hunt well for them tomorrow and trust we may recover them.

Friday, May 16.

I with Bell and Davis started out first thing after the camels, leaving Palmer, Wylde and Kirby in camp.  Searched back towards the old camp again although they had assured me they had thoroughly searched all the leading creeks, but I had little faith in their search, which the result proved.  At about six miles south-south-west in one of the creeks that they particularly assured me had been well-searched I, with Davis, found their traces (Bell having been sent in another direction) and after losing their track for about six or seven hours succeeded in finding them about twelve or thirteen miles south and west of this, I fancy more by accident than anything else, at about an hour and a half to sunset, and immediately started to camp where they arrived all right and are now tied up for the night ready for a morning start, and very glad am I that they are found.

Saturday, May 17.

Camp 58.  Sultry, wind east.  All the animals ready for a start and happy am I to turn my back on this camp which I call Rowdy Creek Falls Camp after the poor little bullock we killed here, which gave us about 70 pounds of such stuff as one could hardly imagine without seeing it—­nothing like a particle of fat visible anywhere and excessively tasteless.  It is fortunate our two remaining bullocks are in better condition or we would not be in the most enviable plight on our arrival at the settled