Rested ourselves and horses.
February 17.
Left camp at 6.35. Four and a half miles took us across low land, wooded chiefly with (what I take it to be) excoecaria; then a mile over unwooded, gently-undulating ground, which extended up the valley to little bald hills. The land is well grassed. A site near those hills would answer well for a lambing-ground for a sheep establishment. Then a mile over high grassy lands, wooded with gum, broad-leaved box, white-wood, and other trees; then two miles further to near the base of a hill that was remarked from its only being wooded on its summit; then three and a half miles over undulating well-grassed ground to a small watercourse from the west; then three miles over flat poor country, thickly wooded with bloodwood and other trees; then three and a half miles over poor low ridges, covered with triodia and other grasses, and wooded with bloodwood, tea, severn, and other trees, to a small watercourse, where we encamped. Direction today east by south half south; distance sixteen miles.
February 18.
We left Camp 7 (marked by mistake 8) at 8.16 this morning. At 11.45 we had come nine miles and a half over two kinds of country--the first and largest part consisting of poor low ridges, covered with inferior grasses and wooded with bloodwood, tea, and other trees; the second part consisting of flat country, rich soil, well grassed, and wooded with bauhinia and western-wood acacia. The acacia I have mentioned is called gidya in some places of Australia. Then, after crossing, in half a mile, a strip of unwooded country extending to the right and left of our course, we halted for thirty-five minutes to try and get the sun's meridian altitude, but did not succeed as the sun was obscured. Then, after coming over poor low ridges covered with triodia and wooded chiefly with tea trees for five and three-quarter miles, we reached at 2.45 a ravine and encamped. Direction travelled this day east by south half south.
February 19. Camp 8, situated in a ravine from an adjoining tableland.
In the rocky basin of the ravine I think water will always be found. We left camp at 6.40 this morning and came in an east by south half south direction. The country for a short distance was confined, but on descending the valley it opened out into plains separated from each other by isolated hills of a conical form. The tops of the hills were covered by rocks which, from their appearance, were of a sandstone formation; the lower parts of the hills were well grassed, the plains of rich soil, and covered with a luxuriant green herbage. At 9.30, having come over the plains on our old course for five miles from the isolated hills, we reached the Flinders River. The river, we were glad to find, had been recently flooded; in crossing we ascertained it had four channels, one of which was running. As this was the river on the banks of which Mr. Walker said he had found the track of Burke's party I thought it would be a good plan to follow it up, and resolved to do so. At 10.10 from the opposite bank of the river we came south two and three-quarter miles, which took us over country wooded with box and terminalis to plains similar to those I have described on the left bank of the river, with this difference that on this side there were more flats and pigweed, salt herbs, and saltbush. At 12 having halted I got the following observation: meridian altitude of the sun 82 degrees, latitude 18 degrees 32 minutes 30 seconds. At 1.20 south-south-east three and a quarter miles over rich well-grassed plains; at 2.5 south-east and by south two and a quarter miles; at 13.13 south-west and by south three miles through wooded, rich, flat country to water, and encamped. Distance today nineteen and a quarter miles.
February 20. Camp 9, situated on the right bank of an eastern channel of the river.
At this camp one of the mares foaled. Left camp at 7.46; at 8.10, having steered south half east one mile, we reached the river; then changed our course to south-south-east and at 8.38, having travelled one and a quarter miles, we got out of the box and saltbush flats to unwooded plains; delayed then until 9.33, whilst some of our party tried unsuccessfully to shoot emu. At 10.30 came south-east one and a half miles along a plain. At 11.30 came south-south-east two and a half miles to a point of timber, then halted till 12.45 to make an observation of the sun; at 1.20 came south-south-east one and a half miles over thinly wooded plains. The plains in this neighbourhood are thinly grassed, which I think is caused by a recent dry season; at 1.45 made south one and a quarter miles over country that is more thickly grassed; at 2.20 came one and a quarter miles south half west through flats wooded with box and encamped. Distance today eleven and a quarter miles. The foal was so active that it kept up with the horses on this day's journey.
February 21. Camp 10, situated on the right bank of Flinders River.