There were patches where it never grows at all, presenting the appearance of an earthern floor.  They encamped at the junction of Canal Creek, under the shade of some magnificent Leichhardt trees (’Nauclea Leichhardtii’) that grow there, without other water than what they dug for in the sandy bed, and reached at a depth of two feet.  On the opposite side and about a mile from the junction there is a swamp, splendidly grassed, which looked like a green barley field, but the water was too salt for the horses to drink, an unusual thing in granite country.  The timber of the ridges was cheifly stunted hollow iron-bark, that of the river, bloodwood, and the apple-gum, described as so good for forging purposes; there was a total absence of those tall well-grown gums, by which the course of a stream may usually be traced from a distance.  So little was the river defined by the timber that it could not be distinguished at a half-a-mile away.

‘October’ 15.—­The party moved to-day as far as the swamp mentioned on the 19th September.  It received the name of “Cawana Swamp,” and is described as the best and prettiest camping place they had yet seen.  It is surrounded by the high stoney range called Jorgensen’s Range on two sides, north and east, whilst on the south and east it is hemmed in by a stretch of cellular basalt, which makes it almost unapproachable.  The only easy approach is by the river from the westward.  It is six miles round, and so shallow that the cattle fed nearly a mile towards the middle.  The party travelled out of the direct course to avoid the stones, keeping the narrow flats occuring between the river and ridges, which averaged about 200 yards in width; when intercepted by the ridges running into the river, they followed down its bed which is more clearly defined by oak (’Casuarinae’) and Leichhardt trees than up the stream.  The improved travelling allowed them to make the stage of 9 miles in less than four hours, and turn out early.  Several large flocks of galaas (’Cacatua Rosea,’) were seen, and Alexander Jardine shot a wallaby.  Before starting, Barney, one of the black-boys had to be corrected by the Leader for misconduct, which had the effect of restoring discipline.  On reaching Cawana Swamp, the fires of the natives were found quite fresh, from which it would seem that they had decamped on the approach of the party, leaving plenty of birrum-burrongs, or bee-eaters (’Merops Ornatus, Gould’) behind them.  An observation taken at night gave the latitude 18 degrees 1 minute 59 seconds, which gave about 41 miles of Northing.

‘October’ 16.—­The cattle were started away at a quarter-to-four o’clock, this morning, and found an excellent passage through Jorgensen’s Range, by “Simon’s Gap.”  The track from this point to the junction of Warroul and Parallel Creeks with the river (where the camp was pitched) was very winding, from having to avoid the basalt, which was laming some of the cattle, besides