263 
Interior of New Holland. 
this cold and barren feature lay before us. The bank had been 
gradually washed down by heavy rains, and sloped to the 
margin of the lake, if such it might be called. It extended south¬ 
wards beyond the range of vision, but turned to the west in a 
northerly direction, as Mr. Eyre has given the turn to Lake 
Torrens. It was about twelve miles broad. The country on the 
other side seemed to be wooded, and beyond the wood there was 
a deep hollow. 
The N.W. extremity of this basin bore 283°, the southern 
158°, from where we stood. The ranges I have mentioned, from 
the same place, bore respectively 198°, 188°40', and 182°; and 
a flat-topped nearer range, more to the west, 231°. After sur¬ 
veying the ground, Mr. Browne and I descended into the basin, 
but failed in crossing it, as it was soft mud. There was but 
little suilace salt; but large nodules of clay, into which the 
torrents had cut deep grooves, evidenced the heavy nature of the 
floods in that dreary region. “ It is impossible (I say in my 
journal of the 4th August) to convey in language any idea of the 
appearance of this basin or the country round it. Its desolate 
barrenness, dreary monotony, and its denuded aspect are wholly 
indescribable. ’ Failing in my attempt to cross the lake, I tried 
to turn it, but could not; and finding that the country to the 
N.W. was impracticable, after due examination, 1 determined on 
leaving it in its loneliness and returning to the camp. I measured 
a base line to connect the ranges with our previous measurements. 
Our latitude was 27° 15' S.; our longitude, by account, was 
139° 50 E., variation 4° 50 E. The country looked worse as 
we returned to the camp than on our advance, and we really 
were rejoiced at the sight of the grassy plain on the northern 
extremity of which I had established the dep6t. 1 now made 
preparations for a more extensive exploration of the interior to 
the N.W. I had a stockade built for the safety of the party 
during my absence, and everything being in readiness for our 
departure, I left the camp on the 14th August with Mr. Browne, 
blood, Joseph and Lewis, taking fifteen weeks’ provisions in the 
light cart. I was sorry to observe, however, that the horses were 
far from strong, although apparently in good condition, and that 
