256 
Captain Sturt’s Expedition into the 
much more; and the serious and reiterated remonstrances of 
Flood obliged me to show some consideration for them. On the 
21st of April, however, I thought they were again fit for work, 
and once more left the camp, with Mr. Browne, for the westward ; 
but our journey was one of exposure and privation only. We 
found, it is true, a puddle of mud in a hole in a small creek we 
were tracing down, but I could not drink, and I really, wonder 
how Mr. Browne did, for it fell over the edge of our panikins like 
clotted cream. On this occasion we tried to gain the shores of 
Lake Torrens, but failed in doing so, our journey not extending to 
more than 70 miles from the depot. We traversed a country 
totally destitute of water, composed, as usual, of alternate narrow 
flats and sandy ridges, but saw no pine trees on them; the general 
timber—if so bushes might be called—being hakea, batiksia, 
casuarinae, and acacise of various kinds. It was on this journey 
that two beautiful parrots flying over the country, at dusk, pitched 
dose to our fire, no doubt fancying that water was near; but 
none was there for them, and they soon again took wing and flew 
away. I now began to give up all hopes of being able to push on 
until we should have rain; and yet I could not bring myself to 
believe that we were indeed shut up and powerless of exertion. 
Yet, day after day, week after week, and month after month, 
passed away in hopeless inactivity. Anxiously and eagerly did 
we watch the clouds settling on-%he Mount Serle range, and a 
single thunder peal was sufficient to rouse us to exertion, and to 
send us towards the hills in the vain hope that a stray shower 
might have fallen within reach of us. To add to our regret, Mr. 
Poole now became a cripple, and on the 25th of April took to his 
bed, from which he never rose again. Our greatest comfort at 
this time was an underground room we had made close to 
the creek, the temperature of which was eight or ten degrees 
cooler than in any other position. But even here, it was almost 
impossible to map, so quickly did the water dry in the brush- 
Gradually, however, we settled down, and the routine of the camp 
went on with all regularity. Gradually, too, every thing gree' 1 
disappeared from our neighbourhood, and the cattle were reduced 
to cat the bushes and trees, so that at last the view from o»* r 
