eir course on every side; and no water (nor in fact the least sign of
any) was discovered either by them or by those who were sent in search of
it nearer our little camp.

"June 5th. From everything I can see of the country to the south-west, it
appears, upon the most mature deliberation, highly imprudent to persevere
longer in that direction, as the consequences to the horses of want of
grass and water might be most serious; and we are well assured that
within forty miles on that point the country is the same as before passed
over...Our horses are unable to go more than eight or ten miles a day,
but even they must be assured of finding food of which in these deserts
the chances are against the existence."

On the following day, June 6th, Oxley, having changed his course to the
west and north-west, made another effort to escape from the surroundings
that so disheartened him. On the 4th of June, before leaving, Allan
Cunningham planted some acorns and peach and apricot stones in honour of
the King's birthday. Upon this episode Oxley remarks, that they would
serve to commemorate the day and situation, "should these desolate plains
be ever again visited by civilised man, of which, however, I think there
is very little probability." All this only shows how the lack of
experience of the paradoxical nature of the Australian interior induced
Oxley to form an absurdly erroneous idea of the country in its virgin
state. His observations read almost like a present-day description of the
sandy spinifex desert of the north-west of Western Australia, and, in
fact, the very same remark was made by Warburton in 1873, when traversing
that awful desert. He confessed his uncertainty about the longitude of
Joanna Spring, and says that it did not matter, as no white man would
ever come into the desert again in search of the oasis.

But Oxley's troubles were increasing, and on June 8th he wrote: "The
whole country in these directions, as far as the eye can reach, was one
continued thicket of eucalyptus scrub. It was impossible to proceed that
way, and our situation was too critical to admit of delay: it was
therefore resolved to return back to our last station on the 6th, under
Peel's Range, if for no other purpose than that of giving the horses
water."

Forced to return once more, Oxley became thoroughly convinced of the
inhabitability of the country, and it is no wonder that his condemnation
was so sweeping and hasty. He wrote on June t