Jemmy and I left our camp on Dunsmore Creek this morning at 8.5 to go to the Barcoo River.  When we had ridden three or four miles we got on the watershed of a creek on the Barcoo side of the range.  About seven miles further on we reached the main branch of the creek.  It had extensive flood-marks and heaps of mussel-shells on its banks, but the waterholes in its channels were empty.  I named it the Archer Creek.  After following Archer Creek for thirteen miles we reached its junction with the Barcoo River.  I was glad to find that the channel of the river was full of water; and as there were fresh tracks of blacks near the river I supposed them to be in the neighbourhood, so to avoid them I returned up Archer Creek for about four miles to some fine young grass and encamped.  The country we saw today has in many places a rich soil with grass and saltbush.  It is wooded chiefly with myall and western-wood acacia.  Near the channel of the river there are gumtrees, and on the banks of the river and Archer Creek there are box-trees.  Today we steered to the river on the following courses:  12.10 east for eleven miles to the left bank of Archer Creek; 1.20 east for three miles down the creek; 2.28 south-south-east for three miles; 2.52 east for one mile; 3.10 east-south-east for three-quarters of a mile; 4.20 south-east and by south for two and a half miles; 5 south for one and a half miles; 6 south-east and by south for three-quarters of a mile.  Distance twenty-three and a half miles.

April 19 1862.  Barcoo River, Camp 51.

We left Camp 50 at 8.35.  It is situated on the left bank of Dunsmore Creek at a place bearing north by west half west from Johnstone’s Range.  The main party started direct for Cooper’s River and Fisherman and I went to Johnstone’s Range which we reached in about four miles.  We ascended its cliff-topped summit and observed from it a long range of hills from which we bore 99 1/2 degrees from one end, and 141 degrees from another part.  The part of the range we were on prevented me from seeing the other end of Johnstone’s Range.  I made the meridian altitude of the sun 108 degrees 15 minutes.  The latitude of that observation is 24 degrees 34 minutes west.  To reach the river where Mr. Bourne had moved the encampment, at a place a short distance above the junction of Archer Creek, we had to hasten the last seven miles to get to it before dark.  By coming on a different course from our yesterday’s one the road was not so good, and the country was so thickly wooded at places with western-wood acacia that riding fast was too dangerous to be agreeable.  Mr. Bourne observed several blacks today.  They were very timid and ran away.  We came here in about the following courses from the last camp:  10.40 south and by east half east four miles to Johnstone’s Range; 12.30 east, 4.30 east, eleven miles to the tracks; 6.0 east-south-east quarter south seven miles to this encampment.  Twenty-two miles.

April 20.  Sunday.  Barcoo River, Camp 51.