rest and feed on the grass
for a time; but it was of the kind from which the natives collect so much
seed, and though beautiful to the eye, was not relished by our animals.
The plains extended for miles to the south and south-east, with an aspect
of great luxuriance and beauty; nor could I doubt they owed their
existence to the final overflow of the large creek we had all along
marked trending down to this point. Such, indeed, I felt from the first,
even when I looked on its broad and glittering waters, would sooner or
later be its termination, or that it would expend itself, less usefully,
on the Stony Desert. As yet, however, there was no indication of our
approach to that iron region. The plains were surrounded on all sides by
lofty ridges of sand, and the whole scene bore ample testimony to the
comparative infancy, if I may so express myself, of the interior. We next
pursued a N.N.W. course into the interior, and soon left the grassy
plains, crossing alternate sand ridges and flats on a bearing of 346
degrees, the whole country having a strong resemblance to that between
Sydney and Botany Bay in New South Wales. On one of the ridges we
surprised a native, who ran from us in great terror, and with incredible
speed. About noon we crossed a plain, partly covered with stones and
partly bare, and at the further extremity of it passed through a gorge
between two sand hills into another plain that was barren beyond
description, with only salsolaceous herbs. It had large white patches of
clay on it, the shallow receptacles of rain water, but they were all dry.
The plain was otherwise covered with low salsolae, excepting on the
higher ground, on which samphire alone was growing. It was surrounded on
all sides by sand hills of a fiery red, and not even a stunted hakea was
to be seen. From this plain we again crossed alternate sand hills and
flats, the former covered with spinifex, the latter being quite denuded
of all vegetation; but one of the horses at last knocking up, I was
obliged to halt in this gloomy region, at the only puddle of rain water
we had seen since leaving the grassy plain. I was sure, however, from the
change that had taken place, and the character of the country around us,
that we were approaching that feature, the continuance of which, in order
to elucidate its probable origin, it had been a principal object in my
present journey to ascertain. I felt so convinced on this point, that I
could not have return