eft it, and pursuing an easterly
course over the plains halted at seven miles, and slept upon them, under
some low bushes. The early part of the day had been warm, with the wind
at N.E., but in the evening it changed to the south, and the night was
bitterly cold. On the morning of the 14th we were obliged to wrap
ourselves up as well as we could, the wind still blowing keenly from the
south. We travelled for more than five miles over grassy plains, and
crossed the dry beds of several lagoons, in which not very long before
there might have been water. At nine miles we entered a dense brush of
pinetrees, acacia and other shrubs growing on pure sand. Through this we
rode for more than 15 miles, to the great labour of our animals, as the
soil was loose, and we had constantly to turn suddenly to avoid the
matted and fallen timber. In this forest the temperature was quite
different from that on the plains, and as we advanced it became perfectly
oppressive. At about 15 miles we ascended a small clear sandy knoll, from
whence we had a full view of Mount Lyell. I had expected that we should
have found some creek near it, but the moment my eye fell on that naked
and desolate mountain my hopes vanished. We had now approached it within
five miles, and could discover its barren character. Although of great
height (2000 feet), there did not appear to be a blade of vegetation,
excepting on the summit, where there were a few casuarinae, but the pines
grew high up in its rugged ravines, and the brush continued even to its
base. I still however hoped that from the top we should see some creek or
other, but in this expectation we were also disappointed. The same kind
of dark and gloomy brush extended for miles all round, nor could we
either with the eye or the telescope discover any change. Again to the
eastward there were distant ranges, but no prominent hill or mountain to
be seen. One dense forest lay between us and them, within which I could
not hope to find water, and as we had been without from the time we left
the little creek in the ranges near the camp, I determined on retracing
my steps, my object in this journey having been fully gratified by the
results. The country through which we had passed was barren enough, but
that towards the Darling was still worse. I should, however, have pushed
on to Mount Babbage, which loomed large and bore a little to the eastward
of north; but I did not see that I should gain anything by prolonging