Browne, and it was
thought better by both to travel at night, and they accordingly did so.
The country by moonlight appeared more open, and the water seemed to be
in greater abundance, as if much more rain had fallen thereabouts than to
the south. They continued a N.N.W. course until daylight, when they
halted, and Mr. Browne ascended a sand hill, from whence he saw peaks on
the range bearing to the north of east, and the Mount Serle range,
bearing due west, distant 50 miles. The latter circumstance induced Mr.
Poole, when he again resumed his journey, to change his course to west,
in the hope that as he had passed the 30th parallel he should find Lake
Torrens between himself and the ranges. Accordingly, on starting at 4
p.m. they went on that course, and halted at dawn on a swampy flat, under
a gum-tree. Mr. Poole subsequently ascertained that the swamp was the
head of a little creek falling into the Sandy Lake, where he afterwards
terminated his journey.
The country had now assumed a very barren appearance. At sunrise Mr.
Poole and Mr. Browne ascended another sand hill, from whence they again
saw the hills to the westward, seemingly very high and steep; but there
was no sign of an intermediate basin, the country towards the ranges
bearing a most sterile aspect. Here Mr. Browne saw a new pigeon, which
had a very singular flight.
On the afternoon of the 28th the party moved on a course of 10 degrees to
the south of west, down a leading valley, the country becoming still more
barren, the sand ridges quite bare, and only an occasional hakea on the
flats.
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