Wind north at daylight; temperature 77 degrees in open air; up till noon blew strong. Temperature at noon in sun out of the breeze 136 degrees. At sunset wind moderated; heavy clouds from south-east round by south-west to north. At 9 p.m. temperature 96 degrees. At 12 blew a strong gale from south-east accompanied by a very little rain. A good deal of lightning and a little thunder from the southward of west, round west and north of west and apparently raining.
Wednesday, November 20.
Wind working round from south of east to north of east. At 6 a.m. temperature 84 degrees; very cloudy and threatens much for rain—perhaps when the wind moderates we may have a fall. For the last few days Middleton has been laid up with a very bad sore ulcerated throat but is now nearly recovered. I am now quite recovered and anxiously awaiting the return of Mr. Hodgkinson's party that I may be enabled to start for Cooper's Creek by a route a little more to the southward than when I tried when last out. At 1 p.m. wind fallen and changed to west-north-west; temperature 98 degrees. Wind suddenly chopped round by west to south from which quarter till dark it blew quite a gale, causing the lake to recede about 600 yards further north. Highest temperature during afternoon 105 degrees; at 7 p.m. 90 degrees. It looks exceedingly like rain and very boisterous. Mr. Hodgkinson's party not yet arrived. At midnight a few drops of rain with the high wind.
Thursday, November 21.
Quite a calm, the sky completely overcast; whether it will rain or not remains to be seen. The water in the lake has returned to its old bed. Temperature at daylight 85 degrees. From a long conversation I had with a native yesterday, who came to the camp, I am led to believe that only one of the whites was murdered at Lake Cadhibaerri at the time of the attack upon them by the natives there. On the return of the party from the north-west they repulsed the natives, killing some and wounding others; the party buried their comrade and marched southward. The natives, on seeing that the whites had proceeded onwards, immediately returned to the scene of the disaster, dug up the body, cut off all the principal muscular parts, and feasted upon their revolting repast. So minutely does this native know all their movements that he has described to me all the waters they passed and others at which they camped, and waters that they remained at for some time, subsisting on a sort of vetch seed that the natives principally use here for food, and obtained in large quantities on many of the flooded flats by sweeping it into heaps, then winnowing it, then grinding or pounding it between two stones, then mixing it with water into the consistency of damper, and finally making a cake and putting it into the ashes the same way as damper—when cooked and fit for use it tastes rather strong, but no doubt they could live upon it for a long time as it must be wholesome. That, with the game and fish they could get from the waters of the creeks and lakes, would keep them alive very well if they did not further attempt to make their way to the Darling (which the native says they did) but I hope soon to see and trust they have not attempted to do so. If they have not done so, and that they are alive and escaped the natives, their relief is certain. One thing I cannot arrive at is how long or how many moons it is since they were attacked at Lake Cadhibaerri, as I then could form a much more accurate idea of the truthfulness or otherwise of the native's statements; but it must be some considerable time as the body I found was perfectly decomposed, and on the skull even there was not a particle of skin, but as bare as if it had lain in a grave for years. A slight shower this afternoon, hardly sufficient to wet one's shirt. Temperature highest during the day 104 degrees, very close and disagreeable; at sunset temperature 88 degrees, heavy clouds all round, not a breath of wind. Hodgkinson's party not yet arrived. If he does not come within the next two days I shall feel very uneasy. Had a visit from about a score of natives, some of them from the north-east, other two from the west-north-west about the stony desert, as they describe an abundance of stones in that quarter. Wind from south-east to south, during the night a very little rain.
Friday, November 22.
Daylight quite cloudy and like rain. Temperature 82 degrees, wind chopping all round; at noon south and north of west. Temperature 142 degrees and still a cool breeze blowing; sunset temperature 90 degrees, wind southward and strong. No appearance of Hodgkinson and party. The natives in a great stir here tonight about something—about a dozen of them crossed the lake to us after dark, wishing to camp near for the night; but as I did not approve of their movements in the evening immediately sent them off again.
Saturday, November 23.
At daylight wind strong from the east; temperature 80 degrees, at 5.30 a.m. blew quite a gale from south, the sky quite overcast and in every other part of the country would make preparations for a heavy fall of rain, but I have seen so much of this here that I don't expect rain till I see it. Temperature noon 110 degrees, rain all blown past; at sunset wind still strong from south; temperature 84 degrees. No appearance of Hodgkinson's party. Natives assembling in great numbers on this lake—distributed some beads, bracelets, and other trinkets amongst them, at which they seemed much pleased.
Sunday, November 24.