f ironstone and quartz on some of the flats we
crossed. We halted at the foot of a sand hill, where there was a good
deal of grass, after a vain search for water, of which we did not see a
drop during the day. The night of the 17th, like the preceding one, was
bitterly cold, with the wind at S.W. During the early part of this day we
passed over high ridges of sand, thickly covered with spinifex, and a new
polygonum, but subsequently crossed some flats of much greater extent
than usual, and of much better soil, but the country again fell off in
quality and appearance, although on the whole the tract we had crossed on
our present journey was certainly better than that we traversed in going
to Lake Torrens. We halted rather earlier than usual, at a creek
containing a long pond of water between two and three feet deep. The
ground near it was barren, if I except the polygonum that was growing
near it. The horses however found a sufficiency to eat, and we were
prevented the necessity of digging at this point, in consequence of the
depth of the water. We observed some fossil limestone cropping out of the
ground in several places as we rode along, and the flats were on many
parts covered with small rounded nodules of lime, similar to those I have
noticed as being strewed over the fossil cliffs of the Murray. It
appeared to me as I rode over some of the flats that the drainage was to
the south, but it was exceedingly difficult in so level and monotonous a
region to form a satisfactory opinion. We saw several emus in the course
of the day, and a solitary crow, but scarcely any other of the feathered
tribe. There was an universal sameness in the vegetation, if I except the
angophora, growing on the sand hills and superseding the acacia.

On the 18th the morning was very cold, with the wind at cast, and a
cloudy sky. We started at eight; and after crossing three very high sand
ridges, descended into a plain of about three miles in breadth, extending
on either hand to the north and south for many miles. At the further
extremity of this plain we observed a line of box-trees, lying, or rather
stretching, right across our course; but as they were thicker to the S.W.
than at the point towards which we were riding, I sent Flood to examine
the plain in that direction. In the mean time Mr. Browne and I rode
quietly on; and on arriving at the trees, found that they were growing in
the broad bed of a creek, and were overhanging a beautiful she