eared to join the salt lake to the
north-east angle. There yet remained a possibility that the waters of the
lake might find an outlet to the east and pass north of Mount Wilson; we
therefore steered east from the camp at 6.45 a.m. and passed close to the
south of a small salt lake (dry) three-quarters of a mile in diameter,
and then traversed a level sandy country thickly wooded with acacia and a
few white-gum trees. At 8.15 struck a small grassy watercourse with broad
shallow pools; this we followed down to the south-south-west to the large
salt lake, close to which it was joined by a small sandy creek coming
from the east. Having reached the bank of the lake at 10.0, steered south
along its shore till 11.15, when its shore trended to the
west-south-west, and there was a small well-defined bank without any
break to the point which had been the limit of our examination from the
southern part of the lake, and thus determined that there was no outlet
for the water to the eastward. As the whole country to the south was one
vast sandy desert, destitute of any indications of the existence of
water, it was clear that no useful results could arise from any attempt
to penetrate this inhospitable region, especially as the loss of any of
the horses might deprive the expedition of the means for carrying out the
explorations towards the Gulf of Carpentaria. I therefore determined on
commencing our retreat to the Victoria River while it was practicable, as
the rapid evaporation and increasing saltness of the water in this arid
and inhospitable region warned us that each day we delayed increased the
difficulty of the return, and it was possible that we were cut off from
any communication with the party at the depot by an impassable tract of
dry country, and might be compelled to maintain ourselves on the lower
part of the creek till the ensuing rainy season. Returned to the creek at
the north-east angle of the lake and encamped. The morning was cloudy
with a strong hot wind from the east and south-east; the night calm and
misty.

11th March.

At 6.10 a.m. left the camp and followed the creek to the
north-north-east, but it soon spread into a number of small gullies,
which drained a patch of clay land. At 7.0 steered north through a wood
of acacia growing on loose sandy soil. Entering the open sandy plain at
8.15, a few small white-gum trees were scattered over this part of the
plain, which was quite level, the loose sand being cove