nd Mr. Browne were better, and the
men generally complained less than they had done. On Sunday, the 12th, we
had thunder with oppressive heat, but no rain. On Monday the wind, which
had kept with the regularity of a monsoon to the E.S.E., flew round to
the N.W., the thermometer at noon standing at 108 degrees in the shade.

From the period at which we left Flood's Creek we had not seen any hills
to the eastward, the ranges having terminated on that side. The hills we
had passed were detached from each other, and to the westward of our
course. The fall of the creek on which we were at this time encamped was
consequently to the eastward, but there was a small hill about five miles
to the E.N.E., under which it ran; that hill was the southern extremity
of the ranges Mr. Poole and Mr. Browne had lately visited.

I left the camp on the 14th of the month, in the anxious hope that I
should succeed in finding some place of more permanent safety than the
one we then occupied, for we could almost see the water decrease, so
powerful was the evaporation that was going on. I was accompanied by Mr.
Browne and Mr. Poole, with Flood, Joseph, and Mack; but Mr. Poole only
attended me with a view to his returning the next day with Mack, in the
event of our finding water, to which he might be able to remove during my
absence. We traced the creek upwards to the north-west, and at about four
miles came to another, joining it from the westward. There was no water,
but a good deal of grass about its banks, and it was evidently a
tributary of no mean consequence. Crossing this we traced up the main
creek on a more northerly course, having the Red Hill, subsequently
called Mount Poole, on our left. We were obliged to keep the banks of the
creek to avoid the rough and stony plains on either side. A little above
the junction of the creek I have noticed, we passed a long water-hole, at
which Mr. Poole and Mr. Browne had stopped on their excursion to the
north; but it was so much diminished that they could hardly recognise it.
The fact however shewed how uncertain our prospects were at this period.
The bed of the creek was grassy, but broad, level, and gravelly. At
almost every turn to which we came Mr. Poole assured me there had been,
when he passed, a large sheet of water; but not a drop now remained, nor
could we by scratching find the least appearance of moisture. Yet it was
evident that this creek was at times highly flooded, there being a great