12th June.
Approaching the 141st meridian, which is the boundary of the province of
South Australia, stony ridges closed in on both banks of Cooper's Creek,
forming almost a natural division, across which we followed a well-beaten
native path; and here I observed the only instance which has come under
my observation where the aborigines have taken the trouble to remove
natural obstacles from their paths. The loose stones had been cleared
from the track, and in some places piled in large heaps.
14th June.
After passing the stony ridge the valley became wider, the hills receding
suddenly, in longitude 140 degrees 30 minutes, both to the north and
south; and the whole of the country to the west seemed to consist of a
succession of low ridges of red sand and level plains of dry mud, subject
to inundation. Shortly before reaching the branch of Cooper's Creek named
by Captain Sturt Streletzki Creek, we observed the tracks of two horses,
one apparently a cart-horse, and the other a well-bred animal, but as
none of their tracks were within the last month, the rain had obliterated
them to such an extent that they could not be traced up, as they had left
the bank of the creek on the first fall of rain, as is the usual habit of
horses whose wanderings are uncontrolled. There can be little doubt that
these horses belonged to Captain Sturt, who left one in an exhausted
state near this locality, and also lost a second horse, whose tracks were
followed many miles in the direction of this part of Cooper's Creek.
16th June.
Streletzki Creek, which separates nearly at a right angle from the main
channel, appears to convey about one-third of the waters of Cooper's
Creek nearly south, and, as we afterwards ascertained, connects it with
Lake Torrens. We, however, continued to follow the channels which trended
west for thirty miles, but large branches continually broke off to the
south and west, and at length the whole was lost on the wide plains of
dry mud between the sand ridges; and, as there was no prospect of either
water or grass to the west, I steered south and south-east for fifty
miles over a succession of ridges of red drift sand, ten to fifty feet
high, running parallel to each other, and in a nearly north and south
direction. Between these ridges we occasionally found shallow puddles of
rainwater, or rather mud, as it was so thick with clay as to be scarcely
fluid. Fortunately a great quantity of green weeds had grown up since the
rain, and the horses improved in condition, and did not require much
water.
21st June to 25th June.
In latitude 28 degrees 24 minutes we again came on Streletzki Creek, and
then followed it nearly south-south-west between sandy ridges to latitude
29 degrees 25 minutes, when it turned to the west and entered Lake
Torrens. No permanent water was seen in the bed of the creek, though
there were many deep hollows which, when once filled, retain water for
several months, and this, combined with the existence of a fine reach of
water in Cooper's Creek immediately above the point where Streletzki
Creek branches off, renders it far the best line of route into the
interior which has yet been discovered. Passing between the eastern point
of Lake Torrens and what has hitherto been considered the eastern arm,
but now ascertained to be an independent lake, the space between (about
half a mile) was level sandy ground, covered with salicornia, without any
apparent connecting channel. The course was continued south-south-west
towards Mount Hopeless, at the northern extreme of the high ranges of
South Australia, which had been visible across the level country at a
distance of sixty miles.
26th June.
As we approached the range of hills tracks of cattle and horses were
observed, and eight miles beyond Mount Hopeless came to a cattle station
which had been lately established by Mr. Baker. As the nature of the
country we had traversed was such as not to admit of any useful
deviations from it if we returned to New South Wales by land, I deemed it
advisable to proceed forthwith to Adelaide, and, disposing of the horses
and equipment, return with the party by sea to Sydney.