22nd February.
Leaving the camp at 5.40 a.m., followed the creek to the west-south-west
and crossed a small gully from the south; at 11.30 a.m. camped at a fine
pool of water in a small creek from the south, close to its junction with
the principal creek, which we named after Captain Sturt, whose researches
in Australia are too well known to need comment; the grassy plains
extended from three to ten miles on each side of the creek, which has a
more definite channel than higher up, there being some pools of
sufficient size to retain water throughout the year; the plain is bounded
on the north by sandstone hills 100 to 200 feet high, and there is also a
mass of hilly country to the south, the highest point of which was named
Mount Wittenoon; about noon a thunder-shower passed to the east and up
the creek on which we were encamped, and though the channel was then dry
between the pools, at 4.0 p.m. it was running two feet deep; the grass is
much greener near this camp, and there has evidently been more rain here
than in any part of the country south of Victoria yet visited; a fresh
southerly breeze in the morning, thunderstorms at noon, night cloudy with
heavy dew.
23rd February.
At 5.50 a.m. resumed our journey down the creek, the general course first
south-west and changing to the south-south-west; the channel was
gradually lost on the broad swampy flat, which was overgrown with
polygonum and atriplex, etc., and had a breadth of half a mile to a mile,
being depressed about ten feet below the grassy plain; the grassy plain
also extended to about fifteen miles wide, the hills decrease in height,
and the whole country is so level that little is to be seen but the
distant horizon, scarcely in any part rising above the vast expanse of
waving grass. At 10.50 a.m. camped at a shallow puddle of muddy water,
just sufficient to supply the horses; I walked about a mile into the
polygonum flat, but could not find any water, though the ground was soft
and muddy in a few spots. Mr. H.C. Gregory, when rounding up the horses
in the evening, saw eight blacks watching us; we therefore went out to
communicate with them; but they hid themselves in the high bushes and
grass. The night was clear, and I took a set of lunar distances, which
the cloudy weather had prevented for more than a week, though I had been
able to get altitudes for latitude.
Latitude by Canopus, Castor and Pollux 18 degrees 39 minutes 54 seconds.