n,
running from which I noticed what I took to be a creek.

At this point it is interesting to see what Gregory's impressions were of
the country ahead. This was the furthest point he reached in 1856, having
landed an expedition on the Northern coast and travelled up the Victoria
River on to the head-waters of the Sturt Creek, and down that creek to
its end. He says: "From the summit of the hill (Mount Wilson) nothing was
visible but one unbounded waste of sandy ridges and low, rocky hills,
which lay to the South-East of the hill. All was one impenetrable
desert; . . . the vegetation on this part of the country was reduced to a
few stunted gums, hakea bushes, and Triodia (spinifex), the whole
extremely barren in appearance. . . The remaining portion of the horizon
was one even, straight line: not a hill or break of any kind, and except
the narrow line of the creek, was barren and worthless in the extreme, the
red soil of the level portions of the surface being partially clothed
with Triodia and a few small trees, or rather bushes, rendering the long,
straight ridges of fiery-red, drifting sand more conspicuous."

So Gregory retraced his tracks up the Sturt Creek, and when one remembers
that he had horses, one can only say, "And a good judge too."

Leaving Mount Wilson we steered East and cut the creek that I had seen,
and were glad to find feed near it for both horses and camels. I walked
it up to its head, and found a little rocky pool of water, returning
after dark. Breaden and Warri had been out too, but found nothing. Having
watered the animals, next morning, the 22nd, I steered a course to take
us through a piece of country previously traversed by Warburton, with
Lake White (a dry salt-lake) as our goal, for round it I hoped to find
creeks and clay-pans. I depended on none of Warburton's waters, though he
had some marked on his chart, since I knew that doubts existed as to the
accuracy of his positions, and I preferred to rely upon our own methods
of finding water rather than to waste time in hunting for wells that we
might not find. For the next few days we were crossing spinifex plains
and passing distant hills and tablelands of sandstone. The days were very
hot, but since rising from the hollow of the lake the nights had become
very much cooler. We had come so suddenly into desert country that the
animals gave us great trouble, being unable, poor things, to find any
food. Late starts were the order of the day,