Today we rested ourselves and the horses.  I made the meridian altitude of the sun A.H. 107degrees 56 minutes.  The latitude is by that observation 24 degrees 37 minutes 43 seconds.

April 21.  Monday.  Barcoo River, Camp 52.

We left Camp 51 at 10.3.  It is situated on the left bank of the river bearing east half south from a small hill about two miles distant.  We followed the river up on its western bank for about fifteen and a half miles and encamped at 5.10 p.m.  We came first in a north-north-east direction and afterwards for a few miles in a more easterly one.  Our path along the first part was between ridges thickly wooded with western-wood acacia and low flat country intersected by boggy branches of the river.  In the latter part our path was not confined.  On the flats where the old grass had been burned good grass had grown up.  There was also good grass on the ground which had been flooded near the channels of the river.  We came here in about the following courses:  11.30 north-east four miles; 12.15 north-east four miles; 2.10 north-north-east four miles; 4.10 north and by east five miles; 4.35 east-north-east one mile; 5.10 east one and a half miles.  Total fifteen and a quarter miles.  About four miles north-east from last camp I made the meridian altitude A.H. of the sun 106 degrees 50 minutes; the latitude by that observation is 24 degrees 34 minutes.

April 22.  Tuesday.  Barcoo River, Camp 53.

Left Camp 52 at 9.22 and followed up the river on its western side one and a half miles.  Doing so brought us in a north-easterly direction to here.  In the first part we came more northerly than easterly and in the latter part more easterly than northerly.  The country we saw was like that seen yesterday, except being scrubby at a few places.  In the middle of the day Jemmy and I waited behind the main party and I made an observation of the sun to get our latitude.  As we were riding to overtake the main party we passed nets for catching emu and nets for catching fish.  We then passed an elderly gin and a little boy watching earnestly our main party, and immediately afterwards we came upon about a dozen blacks.  Mr. Bourne informed me that they had followed him for several miles and had persisted in approaching nearer than was desirable.  Jemmy had a long conversation with them respecting the explorers they had seen, and also respecting the route towards the settled districts, which he learned some of them had visited.  They said they did not remember any explorers who had larger animals than horses and, strange to say, none who had drays.  We presented them with glass bottles, an empty powder flask, and some hair from the horses’ tales.  Jemmy told them we wanted to encamp and that we did not wish to be too near them.  They continued to follow us and on Jemmy asking them why they did so they replied they wanted a light.  We gave them one and they left; but after we had camped we found they had encamped very near us.  We came here on the following courses:  11.30 north-north-east seven miles; 12.30 nil; 1.15 north-north-east two miles; 3.15 north-east by east four and three-quarter miles; 3.35 east-north-east three-quarters of a mile; 4.45 north-east three miles; 5.25 east one mile.  Eighteen and a half miles.