s of salt water channels; but
even these did not appear to have had any water in them for a long time.

Upon halting the party, I sent Mr. Scott to explore the range further
south than I had been, whilst I myself went to search among the salt
lakes to the southwest. We, however, both returned equally unsuccessful,
and I now found that I should be compelled to send the dray back for a
supply of water from Baxter's range. The country was so scrubby and
difficult to get a dray through that our progress was necessarily slow;
and in the level waste before us I had no hope of finding water for some
distance further. I thought, therefore, that if the dray could bring a
supply to last us for two days after leaving our present encampment, we
should then be enabled to make a fresh push through a considerable extent
of bad country, and might have a better chance of finding water as we
advanced to the south-west.

September 19.--This morning I unloaded the dray of every thing except the
water casks, and pitching my tent among the scrub took up my quarters
alone, whilst I sent back the man, the native boy, the dray, and all the
horses with Mr. Scott to Baxter's range. As they made an early start, I
gave them instructions to push on as rapidly as possible, so as to get
the range that night, to rest the horses next day and fill the casks with
water, and on the third day, if possible, to return the whole distance
and rejoin me.

Having seen them fairly away, I occupied myself in writing and charting
during the day, and at night amused myself in taking stellar observations
for latitude. I had already taken the altitude of Vega, and deduced the
latitude to be 32 degrees 3 minutes 23 seconds S.; leaving my artificial
horizon on the ground outside whilst I remained in the tent waiting until
Altair came to the meridian, I then took my sextant and went out to
observe this star also; but upon putting down my hand to take hold of the
horizon glass in order to wipe the dew off, my fingers went into the
quick-silver--the horizon glass was gone, and also the piece of canvass I
had put on the ground to lie down upon whilst observing so low an
altitude as that of Vega. Searching a little more I missed a spade, a
parcel of horse shoes, an axe, a tin dish, some ropes, a grubbing hoe,
and several smaller things which had been left outside the tent, as not
being likely to take any injury from the damp.

It was evident I was surrounded by natives, wh