April 5--Oil Camp.--Earthy and clayey plains, generally sound and
tolerably grassed, but in other places bare salt bush, and
withered.
April 6 and 7.--Earthy flats, cut into innumerable water courses,
succeeded by fine open plains, generally very bare, but having in
some places patches of fine salt bush. The dead stalks of portulac
and mallows show that those plants are very plentiful in some
seasons. Towards noon came upon earthy plains and numerous
billibongs. The next day the water and feed much dried up, and
nearly all the water has a slightly brackish taste of a peculiar
kind, somewhat resembling in flavour potassio-tartrate of soda
(cream of tartar).
On the 8th, poor Gray, suffering under the bad odour of his
peculations, was thought to be pretending illness, because he could
not walk, and my son, when he was himself ill, much regretted their
suspicions on this point; but it appears from King's evidence, that
Gray's excuse for using the provisions surreptitiously, that he was
attacked by dysentery, was without foundation.
Monday, April 8.--Camp 50R.--Camped a short distance above Camp 75.
The creek here contains more water, and there is a considerable
quantity of green grass in its bed, but it is much dried up since
we passed before.
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