190 
Captain Sturt’s Expedition into the 
passed up tlie Williorara, I sent Mr. Browne on a reconnoissancc 
with Nadbuck on the morning of the 12th, who returned in the 
afternoon with information that the waters had not yet reached 
the basin, and that there was a sufficiency of grass all round it. 
Mr. Poole did not return to the camp until the 15th, there having 
been a good deal of light rain during his absence. He reported 
to me that the hills were about 28 miles distant, and that they 
extended to the north—that from their summit he observed nume¬ 
rous ranges to the N.W. as a medium poiut, with a large body of 
water, amidst which they rose like islands; but in this particular 
Mr. Poole had been deceived, as many a one has been before him, 
by the mirage. He further informed me, that the country inter¬ 
vening between him and the ranges was flat, and to appearance 
grassy, but that he could not see anything like a river on it. On 
the 16th we commenced the measurement of a base line to con¬ 
nect the different hills with the river. Mr. Browne on the same 
day swam the river with a native lad, Topar, who, as a boy, had 
witnessed the unhappy affair between Sir Thomas Mitchell and 
the natives in 1836, and who took him to the last camp of that 
officer on the Darling, which bore and was distant from our camp 
as I have stated. The position did credit to Sir Thomas Mitchell’s 
military skill. On the 17th, I moved the party over the sand 
hills, along which we were measuring ; crossed the head of Cawn- 
dilla just as the floods were entering it, and encamped again on 
some rising sandy ground forming the right bank of the Willio¬ 
rara. We were at this time attended by about 60 natives, who 
behaved very well, although, on our first arrival, the remembrance 
of former injuries aroused angry feelings. Our friend Nadbuck, 
however, soon pacified them, and our kindness to their women 
and children secured their good offices whenever we required 
them. One of the tribe, however, stole one of our flags from 
its station on the sand hill. As we had treated the natives with 
great kindness, we showed much displeasure at this robbery, and 
intimated to them that unless the flag was returned they should 
have nothing more from us. The consequence was that the flag 
was brought back, and much good was the result of this decision 
on our parts. 1 now determined on going myself, personally, to 
