Interior of New Holland. 251 
growing there, and the immense quantity of debris left in the 
creek itself, but over the whole of this region there were the marks 
of violent and terrific floods. The high water mark was far on 
the plains behind us; and when such a state of things exists, the 
lower country must present the appearance of a sea. It is 
evident, however, that these floods are very transitory, but they 
must, nevertheless, be sudden and dangerous ; and there can be 
no doubt that if it had been our fate to have experienced an event 
of the kind, we should have seriously suffered ; nor was it unfre- 
quently that I contemplated the probability of such an occurrence 
in reference to the precarious ground we occupied. 
At this point, however, we were safe, as far as our supply of 
water went; and it only remained for me to examine the country 
without loss of time, in order to gain a position still more favour¬ 
able tp the exploration of central Australia. On the 2nd Feb. 
I sent Flood to the north-west in search of water, but he returned 
on the following day unsuccessful. On the 5th I left the camp 
with Mr. Browne to trace the main creek to its termination ; and 
if possible, to communicate with the natives—Mr. Poole having 
seen a number migrating down it on a former occasion. After a 
ride of 30 miles we found that the creek terminated in extensive 
grassy plains; but before spreading over these it had a long, 
narrow, deep channel of water, darkly shaded with trees, which 
contained water for a long time after water had vanished from 
every part of the country excepting the DepSt Creek. These 
plains, if nearer Adelaide, would form several beautiful cattle 
stations; although their being occasionally flooded might be of 
temporary inconvenience. The natives I fell in with on this ex¬ 
cursion were few in number, and timid in manner; but they did 
not avoid us. At this time both I myself and my officers first 
felt the effects of scurvy ; pains of various kinds, spongy gums, 
pieces of flesh hanging from the roof of the mouth, and other 
symptoms of that terrific and horrid disease. I knew not the 
cause of my suffering; but on speaking to Mr. Browne I became 
aware of the fact; but as I had not partaken of salt meat in any 
quantity, had indeed been abstemious in its use, I was at a loss 
to conjecture why I should have been attacked. However, so it 
ii 2 
♦ 
