Thursday, 18th September, Murchison Range. Proceeded at daydawn to the Gilbert. Found it dry. Went on towards the Bonney; crossed the McLaren--no water. At two o'clock arrived at the Bonney, and am most thankful to Divine Providence that there is still a good supply of water that will last some time longer. My horses look very bad indeed. I expected to have lost more of them. They have got over this first difficulty very well. Towards the end of the journey my old horse took the lead. Day hot. Wind, south-east. Friday, 19th September, The Bonney. From this camp Mount Fisher bears 119 degrees 30 minutes. I must remain here some time to get my horses round again. A large number of them are looking very ill this morning. Being so long without water and the dry state in which the grass is, has reduced them more than three months' hard work would have done. If the grass had any nourishment in it, two or three days would have done for them. Not a drop of rain seems to have fallen here for the last twelve months; everything is dry and parched up. This appears to be the driest part of the year. I am very doubtful of the water in the Stirling, the next place that I was depending upon. From the very reduced state in which this is, I have very little hope of there being any there. The day has been again oppressively hot. I trust we shall soon have rain. Wind variable. Native smoke about. Saturday, 20th September, The Bonney. Resting horses. I feel very ill again; being so long in the saddle is very severe upon me. Day again very hot. Wind from the west, with a few clouds, which I trust will bring up rain. Sunday, 21st September, The Bonney. Resting horses. Day very hot. Wind, west; clouds broken up. Monday, 22nd September, The Bonney. This morning sent Thring up the creek to see if there is any larger water than this that can be depended on for some time to come. Very hot. Clouds all gone. Wind variable. Tuesday, 23rd September, The Bonney. Recruiting horses, etc. About eleven o'clock Thring returned. He has been about twenty miles up the creek to where it became much narrower and was joined by a number of small ones coming from very rough and stony hills. Its general course is about east-south-east. At four miles from this he found a pool of water four feet deep, two hundred yards long, and thirty feet broad. There is a considerable quantity of water all the way up, but shallow, and none of the extent of the former one found. Should I be forced to retreat, that will be a safe place to fall back on until rain falls. Day again oppressively hot. Wind, east.