Wednesday November 20. Camp Number 4.

Situated on right bank of the Gregory River. Started at 8.13 a.m. and
steered south for about three miles, until 9.25; then I had to change our
course to south-south-east for about half a mile to where we tried to
cross the river, but could not find a suitable place for doing so.
Started again at 10.15 and reached at 11.15, by a south course, two and a
quarter miles to where we crossed a dry creek near its junction with the
river. We continued steering on the same course south for about one mile,
when we reached the bank of the river, and a further continuation of the
same course for one mile brought us to a place on the river where we
watered the horses. The watering-place was boggy but we could find no
better. Started again at 2.4 p.m., and at 3.30 made one and a half miles
south-south and by east; at 4 made one and a half miles in a south-east
direction, to where I went in search of a crossing-place, and in doing so
followed the river in a south-east direction for two and a half miles
without finding a place where the horses could approach even near enough
to the river to get a drink without a risk of their falling into the deep
water. We followed up the Gregory River thirteen miles by the courses I
have mentioned. We found the branding-irons did not answer for branding
trees, as it took a much longer time to do so than to mark them with a
tomahawk, so we buried them at a tree marked Dig, at the camp we left
this morning. Last night we had a potful of the young wood of the cabbage
palm, which tasted like asparagus. All the country we have seen today is
of a similar character to that described in yesterday's journal. This
afternoon we reached country on which rain had fallen recently and it was
in consequence covered with herbage so green that we did not think the
horses on it would require water during the night, so their not having
been able to approach it earlier in the day was not of any consequence.