mark and keep the direction of the camp.

Dec. 9.--The haze of yesterday cleared up at sunset, after having formed
two threatening masses of clouds in the east and in the west, united by a
broad belt of mare's tails across the sky. It became cloudy again, and
prevented my taking observations during the night; the morning was cool
and agreeable, clearing up about eleven o'clock; the northerly wind
stirring, as usual. Proceeding on our journey, we travelled about nine
miles W.N.W. over a Box flat, with stiff soil and melon-holes; after a
few miles, it changed into an open silver-leaved Ironbark forest, with
lighter soil. About six miles from our last camp, we came upon a fine
creek (with Casuarinas and palm-trees), flowing from the mountains on a
north-easterly course; and, about three miles further, to the W.N.W., we
came to another creek, and numerous palm-trees growing near it. Following
up the latter, we found a fine water-hole surrounded by reeds, and which
is probably fed by a spring. The forest was well grassed; and a small
Acacia, about fifteen or twenty feet high, with light green bipinnate
leaves (from which exuded an amber-coloured eatable gum), formed groves
and thickets within it. A Capparis, a small stunted tree, was in fruit:
this fruit is about one inch long and three-quarters of an inch broad,
pear-shaped and smooth, with some irregular prominent lines. Capparis
Mitchelii has a downy fruit, and is common in the scrubs. A small
trailing Capparis, also with oblong eatable fruit, was first observed on
a hill near Ruined Castle Creek, in lat. 25 degrees 10 minutes: we met
with it frequently afterwards. We were encamped in the shade of a fine
Erythrina; and the Corypha-palm, Tristania, the flooded-gum, the
silver-leaved Ironbark, Tripetelus, and a species of Croton, grew around
us. A species of Hypochaeris and of Sonchus, were greedily eaten by our
horses; the large Xeranthemum grew on the slopes, among high tufts of
kangaroo grass. A species of Borage (Trichodesma zeylanica), with fine