earing here and
there in the distance. It was well grassed, but its sandy patches were
covered with Salicornia. This plant abounded particularly where the plain
sloped into the system of salt-water creeks; the approaches of which were
scattered over with the raspberry-jam tree. A west-north-west and west
course led me constantly to salt water; and we saw a large expanse of it
in the distance, which Charley, to whose superior sight all deference was
paid, considered to be the sea. I passed some low stunted forest, in
which a small tree was observed, with stiff pinnate leaves and a round
fruit of the size of a small apple, with a rough stone, and a very
nauseous rind, at least in its unripe state. To the westward of this belt
of forest, we crossed extensive marshes covered with tender, though dry
grass, and surrounded by low Ironstone ridges, openly timbered with
stunted silver-leaved Ironbark, several white gums, and Hakea lorea, R.
Br. in full blossom. We had not seen the latter for a long time, although
Grevillea mimosoides, with which it was generally associated, had been
our constant companion.

Beyond the ridges, we came again on salt-water creeks, and saw sheets of
sand, which looked like the sea from the distance. I turned to the south
and even south-east; and, finding no water, we were compelled to encamp
without it, after a very long and fatiguing stage. Whilst we were
occupied in tethering and hobbling our horses, and eating our supper,
Charley, whose watch it was, allowed the bullocks to stray in search of
water, and the next morning he was so long absent whilst looking for
them, that my exhausted companions became impatient; and I thought it
advisable to send them back to our last camp with as many pack-horses as
we could muster, myself remaining alone to guard the rest of our
property. They found three of the bullocks on the plain, in the most
wretched condition, and met Charley returning with four others, which had
made an immense round along all the salt-water creeks. My companions,
however, were fortunate enough to find a fresh water lagoon about three
miles west of our last camp. John and Charley returned after moon-rise,
with three pack-horses, and arrived at my camp at a quarter to seven in
the morning. I had been in a state of the most anxious suspense about the
fate of our bullocks, and was deeply thankful to the Almighty when I
heard that they were all safe. I had suffered much from thirst, having
b