Poole had
fixed upon as our next temporary resting place. To the eye of an
inexperienced bushman its appearance was in every respect inviting; there
was a good deal of grass in its neighbourhood; the spot looked cheerful
and picturesque, with a broad sheet of water in the creek, which when Mr.
Poole first saw it must have been much larger and deeper; but in the
interval between his first and second visit, it had been greatly reduced,
and now presented a broad and shallow surface, and I felt assured that it
would too soon dry up. Convinced therefore of the necessity of exertion,
to secure to us if possible a supply of water, on which we could more
confidently rely, I determined on undertaking myself the task of looking
for it without delay. Both Mr. Poole and Mr. Browne were better, and the
men generally complained less than they had done. On Sunday, the 12th, we
had thunder with oppressive heat, but no rain. On Monday the wind, which
had kept with the regularity of a monsoon to the E.S.E., flew round to
the N.W., the thermometer at noon standing at 108 degrees in the shade.
From the period at which we left Flood's Creek we had not seen any hills
to the eastward, the ranges having terminated on that side. The hills we
had passed were detached from each other, and to the westward of our
course. The fall of the creek on which we were at this time encamped was
consequently to the eastward, but there was a small hill about five miles
to the E.
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