204 
Captain Sturt’s Expedition into the 
this time. The weather was intolerably hot, the thermometer 
never under 94, rose daily in the shade to 112 and 120, nor 
could we fly anywhere for shelter. Wells dug in the creek gave 
us a purer element to drink ; but from the sun we had no retreat. 
Immediately to the eastward of us the Main Range terminated, 
and there was a broad opening between, and some other ranges 
still more to the north. The line of forest through which we had 
forced our way passed through to the eastward. We thus, for a 
time, lost sight of the hills; but on the 10th they were again 
visible. On the 9th we struck the teats, and once more pressed 
forward over barren stony plains; and on the 11th we halted on 
a creek (one of these Mr. Poole and Mr. Browne had crossed on 
their recent journey, and in which there was a considerable 
quantity of water). The fall of this creek was to the eastward 
and it promised well, both upwards and downwards. There 
being abundance of grass in its neighbourhood I determined on 
remaining some few days at this point; and in the interval to 
examine the country to the north; ascertain how far the hills 
continued, and the character of the interior beyond the point to 
which Mr. Poole had gone. Although there was water in the 
creek on which the camp now rested, I had no hopes of its lasting 
very long; it behoved us, therefore, ere it should be too late, to 
find some more abundant supply. The great difficulty of ad¬ 
vancing in such a country as that in which we now were had 
been severely felt by me; and in consequence of the length of 
time it had occupied, I had thought it advisable to reduce the 
allowance of flour. On the 14th I left the camp with Mr. Poole 
and Mr. Browne, Flood, Joseph, and Mark. Mr. Poole accom¬ 
panied me for the purpose of conducting the party to any water 
we should find, whilst I continued my investigations ; but as we 
were unsuccessful in our search for it, he returned with Mark to 
the camp on the morning of the third day. I had, however, 
requested him on his way back to examine some stony ranges to 
our left, and amongst them he found that supply of water on 
which we subsisted for six months, and which alone enabled us 
to keep our station in the heart of a desert. In the meantime, 
ignorant of this important discovery, I traced the creek upwards 
