1st March.
Our horses having strayed farther than usual in search of better grass,
we were delayed till 6.20 a.m., when we steered a south by west course
down the valley of the creek. Immediately below the camp the country
beyond the effect of inundation changed to a nearly level plain of red
sand, producing nothing but triodia and stunted bushes. The level of this
desert country was only broken by low ridges of drifted sand. They were
parallel and perfectly straight, with a direction nearly east and west.
At 11.50 camped at a fine pool of water three to five feet deep and
twenty yards wide. That we had actually entered the desert was apparent,
and the increase of temperature during the past three days was easily
explained; but whether this desert is part of that visited by Captain
Sturt, or an isolated patch, has yet to be ascertained, and the only hope
is that the creek will enable us to continue our course, as the nature of
the country renders an advance quite impracticable unless by following
watercourses.
Latitude by Canopus, Castor and Pollux 19 degrees 40 minutes 45 seconds.
2nd March.
Left our camp at 6.30 a.m., and steered south-west by west, which soon
took us into the sandy desert on the left bank of the creek. Crossing one
of the sand ridges, got a sight of a range of low sandstone hills to the
south-east, the highest of which I named Mount Mueller, as the doctor had
seen them the previous evening while collecting plants on one of the
sandy ridges near the camp. At 10.15 again made the creek, which had
scarcely any channel to mark its course; the wide clay flat bearing marks
of former inundations was the only indication visible. At 12.35 p.m.
camped at a small muddy pool, the grass very scanty and dry. Traces of
natives are frequent. Large flights of pigeons feed on the plains on the
seeds of grass. A flock of cockatoos was also seen.
Latitude by Canopus and Pollux 19 degrees 51 seconds 12 minutes.
3rd March.
At 5.30 a.m. started and followed the creek on a general course
south-west. There was a very irregular channel sometimes ten yards wide
and very shallow, and then expanding into pools fifty yards wide. The
sandy plain encroached much on the grassy flats, and reduced the winter
course of the creek to half a mile in breadth. At 8.0 the course was
changed to south, and at 10.15 camped at a swamp, which was nearly dry,
and covered with beautiful grass. The country differed in character from
that seen yesterday, there being a few scattered white-gum trees and
patches of tall acacia. Salsola and salicornia are also very abundant,
and show the saline nature of the soil.
Latitude by Canopus and Pollux 20 degrees 2 minutes 10 seconds.