Camp 17. Only rained sufficient to damp the grass. Still cloudy; not a breath of wind at daylight. Craggy hills to commence the journey with this morning. This sandy watercourse flows to west and south, a mere narrow channel, but it was of much service to us; we would have fared badly for the poor animals had we not fallen in with it, insignificant as it appears. Our pack-bags got sadly torn yesterday with broken timber and rocks, all of which latter is sandstone. We passed much splendid splitting timber on our way yesterday, stringy-bark and other trees I don't know the names of, but useful timber. Crossed the creek at 8.38 a.m. on bearing of south by east till 8.55 three-quarters mile; spelled looking out on top of hill sixteen minutes, then on east course chiefly; at 11.30 six miles south one mile from the hill I was making for yesterday. Still on easterly course up and over a rugged and scrubby range till 2 p.m. about three and three-quarter miles. Lost an hour in searching for one of the horses that bolted and kicked off all his load prior to this. Boco (horse) obliged to be left behind. Then about north-north-east descended a range very steep and rough, then spinifex precipices, sharp ledges of rocks and every roughness one could imagine for about two miles or thereabouts, chiefly in the creek, then creek bore about east by north to east-north-east which I followed till after dark about six and a half miles, altogether about nineteen miles. Obliged to leave another horse (Governor) in the creek, fairly knocked up. He has been very soft although the highest priced horse of the lot, one bought of Mr. Boord for 50 pounds. There is another will have to be left if the country does not immediately change for the better; fortunately we found water in several places in the bed of the creek or the horses would have fared badly--a little grass of a very coarse nature just in the sides of the creek, the rest all spinifex and scrub, the latter the camels greedily devour; the rough country has told much on the feet of the latter, another of which, the old Indian, I am afraid will have to be left behind. First pines seen today since crossing Lake Torrens. Sunday, June 15.