I continued my ride about four miles farther along the creek, where I found the scrub had retired, and was replaced by an open silver-leaved Ironbark forest, in which the rich green feed relieved our eyes from the monotonous grey of the scrub, and quickened the steps of our horses.

Here also basaltic ridges approached the creek, and even entered into its bed; among them were several fine water-holes.

In our return to the camp we found abundance of water in the lagoons near the river, corresponding to the water-holes within the scrub.

This local occurrence of water depends either upon thunder-storms favouring some tracts more than others, or upon the country here being rather more hilly, which allows the rainwater to collect in deep holes at the foot of the slopes.
Jan.

5 .-- We moved down to the water-holes of the basaltic ridges, being about nine miles in a N.N.W.direction from our last camp.
At three o'clock a.m.clouds formed very rapidly over the whole sky--which had been clear during the previous part of the night--and threatened us with wet.