201 
Interior of New Holland. 
they had seen abundance of water, it appeared to them doubtful 
how far it would be safe to trust to it. Mr. Poole informed me 
that the ranges were gradually declining in height, and that they 
were in isolated groups, and no longer continuous; but I had 
anticipated that such would sooner or later be found to be the 
case, and therefore never built on their continuing to any great 
distance. 
Having well weighed the information Mr. Poole gave*me, as to 
the nature of the country to the north, I determined on losing no 
time in pushing forwards; but the weather was so overpowering 
that I hesitated moving whilst the wind continued in its then 
quarter,- as we should have to travel more than 50 miles with 
the cattle without water, and that, too, partly through a 
pine forest. In the first place, I sent Flood along the line on 
which we were to go, if possible, to find water; but he returned 
on the third day, without having tasted a drop from the time he 
left us. A cooler wind coming from the south, about 3 p.m., on 
the 28th, I ordered the tents to be struck; and trusting Mr. 
Poole to lead on the party, myself rode to a prominent hill in 
the range, from the summit of which we could see the long line 
of drays toiling over the heated plains. Overtaking Mr. Poole 
and Mr. Browne, at sunset, we halted until the moon rose, when 
we again moved on and travelled all night. As the day dawned, 
more distant objects became visible, and the line of the horizon 
cleared ; and Mr. Poole recognising one of the hills under which 
the creek was, to which he was leading us, took a bearing of it, 
and went on with some more confidence. We had during the 
night travelled over barren stony plains and low brush, but occa¬ 
sionally on a better soil; but about 9 a.m., we entered a sandy 
scrub, and shortly afterwards found ourselves ascending a pine 
ridge.. I was in hopes that these unfavourable appearances would 
soon cease, since Mr. Poole had informed me that we should not 
altogether escape the line of the pine forest; but the farther we 
advanced the more numerous did we find the ridges of sand, and 
the heavier the pull for the cattle. We were pressing on with 
considerable difficulty when Mr. Poole discovered that he had 
been deceived in the morning light, and had taken the bearing of 
