Whilst we were sitting in the dusk near our fire, two beautiful parrots
attracted by it, I suppose, pitched close to us; but immediately took
wing again, and flew away to the N.W. They, no doubt, thought that we
were near water, but like ourselves were doomed to disappointment. During
the evening also some plovers flew over us, and we heard some native dogs
howling to the south-west. At daylight, therefore, we rode in that
direction, with the hope of finding the element we now so much required.
At three miles a large grassy flat opened out to view upon our right,
similar to that at the termination of the Depot creek. It might have
contained 1000 acres, but there was not at the first glance, a tree to be
seen upon it This flat was bounded to the S.W. by a sand bank, lying at
right angles to the sand ridges we had been crossing. The latter,
therefore, ran down upon this bank in parallel, lines, some falling short
of, and others striking it; so that, as the drainage was towards the
embankment, the collected waters lodged against it. After crossing a
portion of the plain we saw some box-trees in a hollow, towards which we
rode, and then came upon a deep dry pond, in whose bottom the natives had
dug several wells, and had evidently lingered near it as long as a drop
of water remained. It was now clear that our further search for water
would be useless.
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