bright point of a
sand hill. The plain was otherwise without vegetation, and its horizon
was like that of the ocean. In the direction I was about to proceed,
nothing was to be seen but the gloomy stone-clad plain, of an extent such
as I could not possibly form any just idea. Ignorant of the existence of
a similar geographical feature in any other part of the world, I was at a
loss to divine its nature. I could not however pause as to what was to be
done, but on our return to the party prepared to cross it. I was fully
aware, before leaving the old Depot, that as soon as we got a few miles
distant from the hills, I should be unable to continue my angles, and
should thenceforth have to rely on bearings. So long as we were chaining
there was no great fear of miscalculating position; so far then as the
second Depot, it would not be difficult for any other traveller to follow
my course. From that point, as I have already stated, I ran on a compass
bearing of 25 degrees to the west of north, or on a N.N.W. course, and
adhered to it up to the point I have now led the reader, a new bearing
having been taken on some object still farther in advance from every sand
hill we ascended. This appeared to me to be the most satisfactory way of
computing our distances and position, for the latitude necessarily
correcting both, the amount of error could not be very great. I now
found, on this principle, that I was in latitude 27 degrees 4 minutes 40
seconds south, and in longitude, by account, 139 degrees 10 minutes east.

On reaching the cart I learnt that Lewis, while wandering about, had
stumbled on a fine sheet of water, in a valley about two miles to the
south of us, and that Joseph and Flood had shot a couple of ducks, or I
should have said widgeon of the common kind.

On the 26th I directed Flood to keep close under the sandy ridge, to the
termination of which Mr. Browne and I had been, and to move into the
plain on the original bearing of 25 degrees to the west of north until I
should overtake him; Mr. Browne and I then mounted and went to see the
water Lewis had discovered, for which we had not had time the previous
evening. It was a pretty little sequestered spot surrounded by sand
hills, excepting to the N.W. forming a long serpentine canal, apparently
deep, and shaded by many gum-trees; there were a numbers of ducks on the
water, but too wild to allow us within shot. Both Mr. Browne and I were
pleased with the spot, and could n