large rocks in the middle
of it, and pelicans, one swan, several sea-gulls, and a number of
cormorants on its bosom, together with many ducks, but none would let us
within reach. We next ran on a bearing of 75 degrees, or nearly east,
along a large path, crossing numerous small branches of the creek, with
deep and sandy beds, and occasionally over small stony plains. At noon we
were at some distance from the creek, but then went towards it. The
gum-trees were no longer visible, but melaleucas, from fifteen to twenty
feet high, lined its banks like a copse of young birch. We now observed a
long but somewhat narrow sheet of water, to which we rode; our suspicions
as to its quality being roused by its colour, and the appearance of the
melaleuca. It proved, as we feared, to be slightly brackish, but not
undrinkable. Near the edge of the water, or rather about four or five
feet from it, there was a belt of fine weeds, between which and the shore
there were myriads of small fish of all sizes swimming, similar to those
we had captured to the westward, in the fourth or O'Halloran's Creek.
Here then was not only the clue as to how fish got into that isolated
pond, but a proof of the westerly fall of the interior, since there was
now no doubt whatever, but that the whole of the country Mr. Browne and I
had traversed, even to the great sand hills on this side the Stony
Desert, was laid under water, and by the overflow of this great creek
filled the several creeks, and inundated the several plains that we had
crossed. By so unexpected a fact, was this material point discovered. The
Roan, at this time, could hardly walk, and not knowing when or at what
distance we might again find water, or what kind of water it would be, I
stopped on reaching the upper end of this pool, but even there it had a
nasty taste, nor were any fish to be seen; a kind of weed covered the bed
of the creek, and it looked like an inlet of the sea.

I was exceedingly surprised that we had not seen more natives, and
momentarily expected to come on some large tribe, but did not, and what
was very singular, all the paths were to the right, and none on the
southern bank of the creek.

The weather continued intensely hot, and the flies swarmed in hundreds of
thousands. The sky was without a cloud, either by day or night, and I
could not but be apprehensive as to the consequences if rain should not
fall; it was impossible that the largest pools could stand the rapid