ound that they terminated considerably to the westward of Sir
Thomas Mitchell's position there. My lunars at Williorara, however,
had not been satisfactory, and I therefore gave that officer credit
for correctness, and in the first chart I transmitted to the
Secretary of State assumed his position to be correct. There was a
small range, distant about 20 miles to the westward of the stony range
connected with the Depot Creek. It struck me that we might from them
obtain a distant view of Mount Serle, or see some change of country
favourable to my future views. Under this impression, I left the camp on
the 7th of the month, with Mr. Poole and two of the men. The ranges were
at a greater distance than I had imagined, but were of trifling
elevation, and on arriving at them I found that the horizon to the
westward was still closed from my view, by rising ground that intervened.
I should have pushed on for it, but Mr. Poole was unfortunately taken
ill, and I felt it necessary to give him my own horse, as having easier
paces than the one he was riding. It was with difficulty I got him on his
way back to the camp as far as the upper waterhole, just outside the
Rocky Glen, at which we slept, and by that means reached the tents early
on the following morning. I had anticipated rain before we should get
back, from the masses of heavy clouds that rose to the westward, after
the wind, which had been variable, had settled in that quarter; but they
were dispersed during the night, and the morning of the 8th was clear and
warm. We had felt it exceedingly hot the day we left the camp--there the
men were oppressed with intolerable heat, the thermometer having risen to
112 degrees in the shade. We had not ourselves felt the day so
overpowering, probably because we were in motion, and it is likely that a
temporary change in the state of the atmosphere, had influenced the
temperature, as the eastern horizon was banded by thunder clouds, though
not so heavy as those to the westward, and there was a good deal of
lightning in that quarter.

I have said that I was not satisfied with the result of my last excursion
with Mr. Browne to the north. I could not but think that we had
approached to within a tangible distance of an inland sea, from the
extreme depression and peculiar character of the country we traversed. I
determined, therefore, to make another attempt to penetrate beyond the
point already gained, and to ascertain the nature of the inter