in of
the obligation under which he has laid me. It so happened that the course
pointed out to me by Lord Stanley, and that in which I desired to go,
were the same, and I had hoped that in following up my instructions, I
should ultimately have gained the spot I so ardently desired to reach,
and to have left the flag of my native country flying over it.

The feelings then with which I returned to the creek after the failure of
our last attempt to penetrate to the north may well be imagined. I
returned to it, as I have said, with perhaps a sullen determination to
stand out the drought; but, on calm reflection, I found that I could not
do so. I could not indeed hide from myself that in the course of a few
days my retreat to the Depot would unavoidably be cut off if rain should
not fall. Looking to the chance of our being delayed until our provisions
should be consumed, and to the fact that we could not expect to get back
to the Depot in less than three weeks, and that I could not hope for any
amendment either in Mr. Browne or my men, so long as they were confined
to the scanty diet we then had. I determined on my return to the Park,
thence to take out fresh hands, and to make another attempt to penetrate
across the Desert in some other direction; but, as this measure, like our
detention at the Depot, would involve a great loss of time, I proposed to
myself again to divide the party, and to send Mr. Browne home with all
the men, except Mr. Stuart and two others. I saw no objection to such a
course, and certainly did not anticipate any opposition to it on the part
of my companion. I resolved then, with a due regard to his state, to
retrace my steps with all possible expedition; and, accordingly, directed
that everything should be prepared for our retreat on the morning of the
14th, for the sky had cleared, and all prospect of rain had again
vanished. Although we were here so close to the Tropic, the climate was
not oppressive. The general temperature after noon was 84 degrees, the
morning 46 degrees. The prevailing wind was from S.S.E. to E.S.E. and it
was invariably cold; at least we felt it so, and I regretted to observe,
that in Mr. Browne's case it caused a renewed attack of violent pains in
the muscles and joints, from which he had before been somewhat free. It
is also remarkable, that up to this distant point, no material change had
taken place in the character of the vegetation; with the exception of the
few trees and