ore determined to fall back upon the creek,
there to hold my ground until such time as it should please God to send
us rain. We re-entered the plain in which the creek rises at 3 p.m., and
made for the trees, from whence the signal smoke was rising, and there
came on a tolerable sized pond of water, at which we stopped for a short
time, and while resting, ascertained that some natives were encamped at a
little distance above us; but although we went to them, and endeavoured
by signs and other means to obtain information, we could not succeed,
they either did not or would not understand us; neither, although our
manner must have allayed any fear of personal injury to themselves, did
they evince the slightest curiosity, or move, or even look up when we
left them. I cannot, however, think that such apparent indifference
arises from a want of feeling, for that, on some points, they possess in
a strong degree; but so it was, that the natives of the interior never
approached our camps, however much we might encourage them. On leaving
these people, of whom, if I recollect, there were seven, we tried to
avoid the distressing plains we had crossed in the morning, and it was
consequently late before we got to the creek and dismounted from our
horses, after a journey of about 42 miles. The 13th thus found us beaten
back by difficulties such as were not to be overcome by human
perseverance. I had returned to the creek with the intention of abiding
the fall of rain, and was not without hopes that it would have gladdened
us, for the sky about this time was very cloudy, and anywhere else but in
the low country in which we were, rain most assuredly would have fallen.
As it was, the clouds passed over us without breaking.

A lunar we here obtained placed us in longitude 138 degrees 15 minutes 31
seconds E., our latitude being 25 degrees 4 minutes 0 seconds S. Computed
from these data I deem I may fairly assume we were in 24 degrees 40
minutes 0 seconds S., and on the 138th meridian, when we stopped on the
8th; being then 470 geographical miles to the north of Mount Arden, about
350 from Mount Hopeless, and rather more than midway between the first of
those hills and the Gulf of Carpentaria. My readers will perhaps bear in
mind, that the object of this expedition was limited "to ascertaining the
existence and the character of a supposed chain of hills, or a succession
of separate hills, trending down from N.E. to S.W. and forming a great