that the
pack-horse was knocked up, and I was obliged to halt four miles short of
our intended destination, and where there was but poor feed for the
animals. After dinner I walked to Termination Hill and ascended it. Like
all the others I had recently examined, it was composed principally of
quartz, ironstone and a kind of slaty rock; the low hills in front
exhibiting the grey limestone, whilst patches of gum scrub were
observable in many places. From the summit of Termination Hill, Lake
Torrens bore W. 20 degrees S. but the view was obstructed by intervening
sand ridges, the elevated land on the opposite shore of the lake still
appeared to continue, and was visibly further north than the lake itself,
which, as I observed, was partially shut out by the ridges. To the north
were low broken hills similar to those around me, but less elevated, and
immediately under these hills to the westward, were heavy red sandy
ridges, such as we had crossed during the day. To the eastward and ten
degrees north of east were seen Flinders range, with which Mount
Deception and Termination Hills were connected, by low long spurs thrown
off to the northward. In the north-east the horizon was one unbroken,
low, flat, level waste, with here and there small table-topped
elevations, appearing white in the distance and seemingly exhibiting
precipitous faces. Wherever I turned, or whatever way I looked, the
prospect was cheerless and disheartening. Our stage had been twenty-two
miles.

August 4.--After giving five gallons of water each to my own and the
native boy's horse, I sent back the man with the pack-horse and the empty
kegs to the depot. We then steered E. 5 degrees S. across some very
extensive barren stony plains, occasionally broken into irregular
surfaces with steep white banks (of a fine freestone), forming the
termination of the higher levels, fronting the hollows. These hollows or
flats were covered with salsolaceous plants and samphire, and appeared
once to have been salt swamps.

At twenty miles we came to a small watercourse emanating from the eastern
hills, which we had now reached, and soon after to a larger one which we
traced up for five miles among the front hills, which were composed of
limestone, but were then obliged to encamp without water. Whilst rambling
about after turning out the horses, I met with a party of native women
and children, but could gain no information from them. They would not
permit me to come near