depot, and made excursions to explore the
country in the neighbourhood. M'Douall Stuart crossed over to Lake
Torrens; while Sturt, with Dr. Browne and three men, pushing to the
north, discovered the Strzelecki Creek, a stream which flows through
very agreeable country. But as they proceeded farther to the north their
troubles began again; they came upon a region covered with hill after
hill of fiery red sand, amid which lay lagoons of salt and bitter water.
They toiled over this weary country in hopes that a change for the
better might soon appear; but when they reached the last hill, they had
the mortification to see a great plain, barren, monotonous and dreary,
stretching with a purple glare as far as the eye could reach on every
side. This plain was called by Sturt the "Stony Desert," for, on
descending, he found it covered with innumerable pieces of quartz and
sandstone, among which the horses wearily stumbled. Sturt wished to
penetrate as far as the tropic of Capricorn; but summer was again at
hand, their water was failing, and they could find neither stream nor
pool. When the madness of any farther advance became apparent, Sturt,
with his head buried in his hands, sat for an hour in bitter
disappointment. After toiling so far, and reaching within 150 miles of
his destination, to be turned back for the want of a little water was a
misfortune very hard to bear, and, but for his companions, he would have
still gone forward and perished. As they hastened back their water was
exhausted, and they were often in danger of being buried by moving hills
of sand; but at length they reached the depot, having traversed 800
miles during the eight weeks of their absence.

It was not long before Sturt started again, taking with him M'Douall
Stuart as his companion. On this trip he suffered the same hardships,
but had the satisfaction of discovering a magnificent stream, which he
called Cooper's Creek. On crossing this creek he again entered the Stony
Desert, and was once more compelled reluctantly to retrace his steps.
When he reached the depot he was utterly worn out. He lay in bed for a
long time, tenderly nursed by his companions; and, when the whole party
set out on its return to the settled districts, he had to be lifted in
and out of the dray in which he was carried. As they neared their homes
his sight began to fail. The glare of the burning sands had destroyed
his eyes, and he passed the remainder of his days in darkness. H