but very slowly. About a
mile from our camp, we crossed a salt-water creek nine or ten yards
broad. There was some vine brush, with plenty of Flagellarias, growing
along its banks. A little farther, we crossed a freshwater creek, which
was larger than the preceding. Both appeared to come from some
conspicuous ranges, about six or eight miles to the westward. About five
miles farther, we encamped on a sandy creek with fine pools of water.

Oct. 4.--We were obliged to remain here, as the horses, not finding
sufficient food in the neighbourhood of the camp, had strayed so far
through the scrub, that they were not found before 2 o'clock in the
afternoon, when it was too late to proceed.

Oct. 5.--We continued our course north by west, through a similar
wretched country, and, at the end of about six miles, came to some hills,
on the north side of a broad sandy creek, from which we distinguished the
white sands of the sea coast, and the white crest of breakers rolling
towards the land. In the bed of the creek as well as on its banks, the
back bones of cuttle-fish were numerous. Charley and John went down to
the beach, and brought back several living salt-water shells. I proceeded
up the creek in a south-west direction, and came, at about three miles,
to some pools of good water, with a tolerable supply of young feed. The
range we had seen yesterday, was still about eight or ten miles distant,
tending from S.S.E. to N.N.W.; it was steep and naked, and was composed
of a white rock which proved to be a baked sandstone, nearly resembling
quartzite in its homogeneous texture.

Oct. 6.--One of our bullocks had become so weak that he was unable to
carry his load; it was, therefore, put on one of our spare horses, which
were still in excellent condition. I steered for one of the detached
mountains at the northern end of the range, and travelled about twelve
miles north-west, before we came to its foot. We had, however, to leave
our bullock on the way, as the difficult nature of the country and
diarrhoea together had completely exhausted him. Scrub and dense
underwood continued over a rather undulating country to the foot of the
range, which was itself covered with open forest. We passed through a gap
between the last two hills of the range, and Charley and Brown, whom I
had sent forward in different directions, and who had both been on the
highest hill, stated that they had distinctly seen an island in the sea;
which could be no o