ptember, Flood, the stockman
who was riding in the lead, lifted his hat and waved it on high, calling
to the others that a large creek was in sight.

When the main party came up, they feasted their eyes on a beautiful
watercourse, its bed studded with pools of water and its banks clothed
with grass. This creek Sturt named Eyre's Creek, and it was an important
discovery in the drainage system of the region that he was then
traversing.

Along this new-found watercourse, they were enabled to make easy stages
for five days, when the course of the creek was lost; nor could any
continuation be traced. The lagoons, too, that were found a short
distance from the banks, proved to be intensely salt. Repeated efforts to
continue his journey to other points of the compass only led Sturt
amongst the terrible sandhills, their parallel rows separated by barren
plains encrusted with salt. Sturt now came to the erroneous conclusion
that he had reached the head of Eyre's Creek, and that further progress
was effectually barred by a waterless tract of country. In fact, he was
then within reach of a well-watered river, along which he could have
travelled right up to the main dividing range of the northern coast. But
Sturt was baffled in the most depressed area on the surface of the
continent, where rivers and creeks lost their identity in the numberless
channels into which they divided before reaching their final home in the
thirsty shallows of the then unknown Lake Eyre. There was neither sign
nor clue afforded him; his men were sick, and any further progress would
jeopardise his retreat. There was nothing for it but to fall back once
more; and, after a toilsome journey, they reached Fort Grey on the 2nd of
October.

Sturt's last effort had been made to the west of north; he now made up
his mind for a final effort due north. Before starting, however, he
begged of Browne, who was still suffering, to retreat, while the way was
yet open, to the Darling. This Browne resolutely refused to do; stating
that it was his intention to share the fate of the expedition. The 9th of
October saw Sturt again under way to the seemingly forbidden north,
Stuart and two fresh men accompanying him. On the second day they reached
Strzelecki Creek, and on the 13th they came on to the bank of a
magnificent channel, with fine trees growing on its grassy banks, and
abundance of water in the bed. This was the now well-known Cooper's
Creek, which Sturt, on his late