h their outlines; in addition to
them, however, there was a nearer flattopped range, more to the northward
and westward of the main range, which latter still bore S.S.W., and
appeared to belong to a high and broken chain of mountains. The sandy
basin was from ten to twelve miles broad, but destitute of water opposite
to us, although there were, both to the southward and northward, sheets
of water as blue as indigo and as salt as brine. These detached sheets
were fringed round with samphire bushes with which the basin was also
speckled over. There was a gradual descent of about a mile and a half, to
the margin of the basin, the intervening ground being covered with low
scrub. My first object was, to ascertain if we could cross this feature,
which extended southwards beyond the range of vision, but turned to the
westward in a northerly direction, in the shape in which Mr. Eyre has
laid Lake Torrens down. For this purpose Mr. Browne and I descended into
it. The bed was composed of sand and clay, the latter lying in large
masses, and deeply grooved by torrents of rain. There was not any great
quantity of salt to be seen, but it was collected at the bottom of
gutters, and, no doubt, was more or less mixed with the soil. At about
four miles we were obliged to dismount; and, tying our horses so as to
secure them, walked on for another mile, when we found the ground too
soft for our weight and were obliged to return; and, as it was now late,
we commenced a search for water, and having found a small supply in a
little hollow, at a short distance from the flag, we went to it and
encamped. The length of the chain line to the flag staff was 70 3/4
miles, which with the 61 we had measured from the Depot, made 131 3/4
miles in all; the direct distance, therefore, from the Depot to the flag
staff, was about 115 miles, on a bearing of 9 1/2 degrees to the North of
West or W. 3/4 N.

My object in the journey I had thus undertaken, was not so much to
measure the distance between the two places, as to ascertain if the
country to the north-west of Lake Torrens, on the borders of which I
presumed I had arrived, was practicable or not, and whether it was
connected with any more central body of water. It behoved me to ascertain
these two points with as little delay as possible, for the surface water
was fast drying up, and we were in danger of having our retreat cut off.
Whether the country was practicable or not, in the direction I was
anxio