alley, the country becoming still more
barren, the sand ridges quite bare, and only an occasional hakea on the
flats. At eight miles on the above course, and from the top of a sandy
ridge at the distance of two miles, they saw a sheet of water about a
mile and a half in length, in a sandy bed extending to the north, without
any visible termination. There was another sheet of water to the south of
this in the same kind of bed, connected with the larger one by a dry
channel. It appeared from the lay of the country that these sheets of
water were formed by drainage from the barren ranges from which Mr. Poole
calculated he was 15 to 18 miles distant. The lakes were about three
miles in length, taking the two together, the water was slightly
brackish, and in Mr. Poole's opinion they might during the summer season
be dry. He again ascended the sandy ridge and observed that he was
immediately opposite to three remarkable peaks, similar to those marked
down by Mr. Eyre. The party then turned homewards, and encamped on the
creek at the head of which they had slept the night before, where they
could hardly rest for the swarms of mosquitos. Pursuing their journey
towards the camp on the following morning, keeping some few miles to the
westward of their former line, they passed through a similar country. At
noon, on the 1st of December, they were still amongst the pine ridges;
after noon the country began to improve, and they rode across large
plains well grassed and covered with acacia trees of fine growth, but
totally destitute of water; they were in consequence obliged to tether
the horses all night. They reached the creek in which I had erected the
pole, early on the following morning, and there found the paper of
instructions informing them of the removal of the camp to within a mile
of where they then were.

It was evident from the result of this excursion, and from the high
northerly point Mr. Poole had gained, that he had either struck the lower
part of the basin of Lake Torrens or some similar feature. It was at the
same time, however, clear that the country was not favourable for any
attempt to penetrate, since there was no surface water. I felt indeed
that it would be imprudent to venture with heavily loaded drays into such
a country; but although I found a westerly course as yet closed upon me,
I still hoped that we should find larger waters in the north-west
interior, from the fact of the immense number of bitterns, cra