29 .-- Finding that one of the water-holes of the camp had dried up, and that the other was very muddy, we returned to larger water-holes two miles to the south-east.

After having done this, I sent Mr.Gilbert and Charley down the creek, to ascertain its course, and to see whether it would be practicable to skirt the highland of peak range to the westward.
Last night thunder-storms were gathering to the south-west, but they did not come up to us.

The night breeze is very strong and regular, and sets in invariably between a quarter and half-past eight o'clock; last night it was quite a gale, which I considered to be the indication of a change in the weather, and of rain.
John Murphy brought the flower of a yellow Hibiscus from Roper's Peak: it is certainly a new species.
Jan.

30 .-- Last night clouds gathered into a thunder-storm to the south-west, but it passed by with very little rain: heavy clouds hung round us, in every direction, but it seemed as if even their passage over the parched plains exhausted their moisture.

In the east and south-east a heavy thunder cloud, with incessant lightning, was seen, but so distant that we could not hear the thunder.