The men returned late after an unsuccessful search for water, having gone entirely round Mount Flinders.  There was now nothing to be done but to drive the horses to the base of the hill under which we were encamped, and share with them the water whence we derived our own supply:  it was obliged to be handed from man to man in the cooking kettle, out of which the poor animals drank; and I was happy to find that a sufficiency would still remain to supply us until Monday morning, when we intended again to set forward.

June 22.—­The morning mild, but a thick drizzling rain continued until near noon, when it cleared up.  The variation of the compass was 7. 45.  E.

About sunset Mr. Cunningham returned from a botanical excursion to Mount Flinders; he had found many new plants on the west side of the mount, but nothing was seen from its summit which had not been previously observed from Barrow’s Hill:  Frazer, our botanical soldier, also returned from Mount Bowen, in Goulburn’s Range; but was not fortunate enough to find any thing new in vegetation, as it had been lately burnt:  it was, however, remarkable that the paneratium Macquarie should be found growing in great abundance at the very top; this plant never being found except near moist Places, and in the vicinity of water.  At the foot of Mount Bowen, Frazer fell in with a native camp, which had not been quitted more than a day or two:  among the reliques were three or four pearl muscles, such as we had observed on the river; and it is probable that these may have been the property of natives who live more immediately in that vicinity.  These shells are used as knives, being ground very sharp against the rocks, and certainly for a scraper they may answer very well.

It may here be remarked, that the composition of the lofty detached hills, designated as mounts, is uniformly different from the rock composing the bases and summits of the more connected and elevated tracts, and what may more properly be termed ranges; the latter being of hard dark coloured granite, whilst the former rather resembles hard sandstone, studded with pebbles and quartz.  The west side of Mount Flinders was covered with quartz, whilst the larger pieces of rock, on being broken, appeared to be an indurated sandstone.

June 23.—­The watering our horses took us up so much time, that it was ten o’clock before we set forward to the northward.  After proceeding about four miles, the country became much more open, extending east and west over a flat level plain, the botany of which, in every respect, resembled Field’s Plains; except that a new species of eucalyptus took place of the acacia pendula.  A flock of large kangaroos was seen for the first time since we quitted the Lachlan; also many emus and bustards.  Our dogs killed three kangaroos and two emus.  The soil of these plains was a stiff tenacious clay, and had every appearance of being frequently under water:  as we were now in the parallel of the spot where the river divided into branches, the altered appearance of the country induced us to hope that we should shortly fall in with some permanent water, and be relieved from the constant anxiety attendant on the precarious supply to which we had lately been enured.