Ridges visible to the N.N.E. and N.E.
At the outskirts of the scrub, the short-tailed sleeping lizard with
knobby scales was frequent: one of them contained six eggs. We camped
outside of the scrub, surrounded by small tufts of the Bricklow Acacia.
Droves of kangaroos entered the scrub; their foot-paths crossed the
forest in every direction.
The thermometer, before and at sunrise, 32 degrees; so cold that I could
not work with my knife, away from the fire. At sunset, a thick gathering
of clouds to the westward.
Oct. 4. - Cloudy sky; thermometer 50 degrees at sunrise; little dew; 64
degrees at eight o'clock.
We travelled about eleven miles in a S. W. and S. S. W. direction,
skirting the scrub. During the journey, two thunder-storms passed over;
one to the southward beyond the Condamine, the other to the north and
north-east over the mountains. The scrub is a dense mass of vegetation,
with a well defined outline - a dark body of foliage, without grass, with
many broken branches and trees; no traces of water, or of a rush of
waters. More to the southward, the outline of the scrub becomes less
defined, and small patches are seen here and there in the forest. The
forest is open and well timbered; but the trees are rather small. A chain
of lagoons from E. by N. - W. by S.; large flooded gum-trees (but no
casuarinas) at the low banks of the lagoons.
