and chagrined to see the water so much lower than I had known it before.  It was covered up too so carefully with bushes and boughs, that it was evident the natives sometimes contemplated its being quite dried up, [Note 3:  In October 1842, I again passed this way, in command of a party of Police sent overland to Port Lincoln, to search for Mr. C. C. Dutton:  the spring was then dried up completely.] and had taken this means as the best they could adopt for shading and protecting the water.  On the other hand the numerous well beaten tracks leading to this solitary pool appeared to indicate that there was no other water in the neighbourhood.  We saw kangaroos, pigeons and birds of various descriptions, going to it in considerable number.  At night too after dark we found that a party of natives were watching also for an opportunity to participate in so indispensable a necessary, which having secured, they departed, and we saw nothing more of them.  I observed the latitude at this camp to be 33 degrees 7 minutes 14 seconds S. and the variation 8 degrees 53 minutes E.

June 30.—­Our road to day was much better, and less interrupted by gullies, though we still kept close under Flinders range.  We traversed a great extent of plain land which was generally stony, but grassy, and tolerably well adapted for sheep runs.  Several watercourses take their rise from this range, with a westerly direction towards the gulf, these were all dry when we crossed them, but their course was indicated by gum trees, and as some of the channels were wide and large, and had strong traces of occasional high floods, I rode for many miles down one of the most promising, but without being able to find a drop of water.  At noon our latitude was 32 degrees 59 minutes 8 seconds, S.

Late in the afternoon we reached a watercourse, which I had previously named “Myall Ponds,” [Note 4:  Myall is in some parts of New Holland, the native name for the Acacia pendula.] from the many and beautiful Acacia pendula trees that grew upon its banks.  There I knew we could get water, and at once halted the party for the night.  Upon going to examine the supply I was again disappointed at finding it so much less than when I had been here in 1839.  This did not augur well for our future prospects, and gave me considerable anxiety relative to our future movements.

For some days past the whole party had fully entered upon their respective duties, each knew exactly what he had to do, and was beginning to get accustomed to its performance, so that every thing went on smoothly and prosperously.  My own time, when not personally engaged in conducting the party, was occupied in keeping the journals and charts, etc. in taking and working observations—­in the daily register of the barometer, thermometer, winds, and weather, and in collecting specimens of flowers, or minerals.  My young friend, Mr. Scott, was kept equally busy; for in many of these duties he assisted me, and in