May 4.
As this was Sunday we rested ourselves and the horses. I made the latitude 25 degrees 36 minutes 51 seconds.
May 5.
We left Camp 62 this morning at 9.15. This camp is situated on the bank of the river. In the forenoon we proceeded due south. In the afternoon we had to travel considerably to the westward of south to keep near the river. When we had ridden about twenty and a half miles we camped on the western side of a shallow waterhole in an eastern channel of the river. Near the river the flats were good. On them the grass was excellent, with a good deal of cotton-bush and saltbush amongst it. The back country was sandy, having kangaroo-grass upon it and wooded with broad-leaved box, broad-leaved ironbark, bloodwood, and mulga. The river was well watered till we came within a few miles of the camp, where it divided into a number of shallow channels. About seven and a half miles south of last camp I made the meridian altitude of the sun A.H. 95 degrees 39 minutes, the latitude 25 degrees 41 minutes. We came here from last camp in the following courses: 11.35 south for seven and a half miles; 2.3 south-south-west for four and a half miles; 2.33 south-west for one and a half miles; 3.8 south-west half south for one and a half miles; 3.47 south for one and a quarter miles; 5.16 south and by west for three and a half miles; 5.30 west-south-west three-quarters of a mile. Distance twenty and a half miles.
May 6.
We started from Camp 63 this morning at 8.33. We left the river, and after we had journeyed about twenty-five miles slightly southward of east we found water and encamped. After leaving the river flats the country was poor. The soil was of a reddish colour and although sandy was very hard. It was wooded with broad-leaved box and mulga scrub. In the first part of the way in many places it was well covered with kangaroo grass, but in the last part of the journey it was too scrubby to be well grassed. When we had gone about eight and a half miles we crossed a low sandstone range; until we reached it we neither saw water nor the slightest sign of a watercourse. In this day's journey we saw more kangaroo and wallaby than on any previous occasion, but we were so eager to get water that we did not try to shoot them. We came here in about the following courses: 11.10 east-south-east eight and a quarter miles to the range; 2.10 east-south-east eight and a half miles; 4.33 east six and a half miles; 4.58 south-east three-quarters of a mile; 5.20 east one mile; total twenty-five miles.
May 7.
We left Camp 64 this morning at 9.30. The camp is situated on the eastern bank of a small creek which has a south-west course. When we had come in an east-south-east direction for about nine miles we saw a range of hills ahead of us, and about two miles further on we crossed a creek with extensive flood-marks and a south-west course. About three and a quarter miles further we crossed a small creek and encamped. Our path for the first part of the way was over poor land thickly wooded with scrubby trees; the latter part over land generally good with good grasses. The land near the creek was particularly good and thinly wooded with box. Having found four emu eggs today Mr. Bourne and I made an excellent dinner of one of them boiled. We thought it had as delicate a flavour as a hen's egg; the rest of our party made emu-egg pancakes, and although they had no salt or sugar they relished them exceedingly. We came here today in the following direction: at 1 east-south-east for nine and a quarter miles; 1.40 south-east for one and three-quarter miles on creek; 2.50 south-east for three miles to small creek; 3 south for quarter mile to camp; distance fourteen and a quarter miles.
May 8.
We left camp this morning at 8.50 and came over scrubby country for six miles. In the first part of the distance, which was particularly scrubby, we crossed a high sandstone range. Six miles further on we crossed a large creek and encamped. The land we crossed was very good, the soil was loose sand with a luxuriant growth of good green grass. The trees were of the following kinds: Broad-leaved box, broad-leaved ironbark, Moreton Bay ash, bloodwood, and cypress pine. We came here on the following courses from 65 Camp: 11 east-south-east for two and a half miles; 11.50 east-north-east for three-quarters of a mile; 11.55 east for one mile; 3 east-south-east for seven and three-quarter miles. Distance today twelve miles.