Interior of New Holland. 
195 
crossing the main range on the bearing I had given to Flood; 
but, on reaching it, found the attempt would be impracticable; 
we, therefore, went to the south, and turned, at four miles, to 
the north-west, up a valley, bearing due west from the camp. 
Pursuing our way up this valley along the dry and sandy bed of 
a mountain torrent—it being a branch of the creek we had turned 
■—into the hills, we crossed a tributary, and pushing on till sunset, 
halted on the main branch, without water. On the 6th, we 
ascended a lofty hill, but our view was unsatisfactory. Other 
ranges opened out beyond those we were crossing, and nothing 
was to be seen of the country beyond them. It appeared to dip 
to the west, but the ranges continued to extend a great way to 
the north. I had directed Flood to follow the stream, and to 
cross the range in his front at its head, under an impression that 
we might soon strike the opposite fall of waters, as we luckily 
did, but following it up for several miles, and seeing no hope of 
water in its sandy bed, we struck away to the west; but were 
suddenly brought up by steep precipices of sandstone. I then 
turned for the valley through which the creek ran, and striking 
it low down, to the N.E. of where we had abandoned it, found 
it greatly enlarged in size, but still with a fine dry bed of sand. 
We soon afterwards entered a narrow defile, with steep rocky hills 
on either side, and after an anxious search, found a little bright 
pool of water, not two feet long, under a rock; but we soon 
enlarged it, and obtained the most delicious water we tasted 
during our long and anxious journey. Pursuing our course down 
the defile, on the following morning, we were soon stopped by 
large rocks of granite traversing the head of the creek, in the 
deep holes of which there was still water remaining. I then sent 
Mr. Browne and Flood on a-head, to look for a pass; but they 
returned, unsuccessful, in the evening. I therefore sent them out 
the next day, in an opposite direction, remaining myself in the 
pass with Morgan. On this occasion, Mr. Browne, whose 
intelligence and prudence were equally valuable to me, was more 
successful, and under his guidance we, the next day, descended 
to those plains, the opposite extremity of which we were never 
destined to reach, but on which our sojourn was as fearful an 
