and examine the country. By this means no time was lost. The first
three camps were marked at about seven-mile intervals; and at about
25 miles, opposite two small lagoons on the west bank, the Leader
marked trees STOP (in heart), on either side the creek, leaving
directions for the party to halt till he returned, and a mile further
down camped for the night. The banks of the creek were scrubby and
poorly grassed, the country sandy, and thickly timbered with
tea-tree, stringy-bark, and bloodwood, and a few patches of
silver-leaved iron-bark, the nondas being very plentiful along its
course. Large flocks of cockatoo parrots ('Nymphicus Nov. Holl.')
and galaas were seen during the day.

'November' 11.--Still continuing down the creek the party made a
short stage of 13 miles, one of their horses having become too sick
to travel. The early halt gave them an opportunity to go hunting,
the more necessary as they were again out of meat. The result was an
iguana, a bandicoot, three opossums, and some "sugar bags" or wild
honey nests.

'November' 12.--Crossing Cockburn Creek the Brothers bore away
N.N.W. for 9 or 10 miles, over sandy bloodwood ridges, intersected
with broad tea-tree gullies, to two sandy water courses half-a-mile
apart, the first 100 and the second 50 yards in width, running west.
These they supposed to be heads of the Mitchell. Crossing them and
continuing N. by W., they traversed over barren tea-tree levels
(showing flood marks from three to four feet high), without a blade
of grass, for about 16 miles, when they reached the extreme head of a
small rocky creek, where they camped at a waterhole, and caught a
great number of maramies, which suggested the name of "Maramie
Creek." It was quite evident that the cattle could not follow by