I selected Flood, Lewis, and Joseph to accompany me, and took 15 weeks
provisions. This supply required all the horses but one, for although
they had so long a rest at the old Depot they were far from being strong,
since for the last three months they had lived on salsolaceous herbs, or
on the shoots of shrubs, so that although apparently in good condition
they had no work in them. My last instructions to Morgan were to prepare
and paint the boat in the event of her being required.
CHAPTER VIII.
LEAVE THE DEPOT FOR THE NORTH-WEST--SCARCITY OF WATER--FOSSIL
LIMESTONE--ARRIVE AT THE FIRST CREEK--EXTENSIVE PLAINS--SUCCESSION OF
CREEKS--FLOODED CHARACTER OF THE COUNTRY--POND WITH FISH--STERILE
COUNTRY--GRASSY PLAINS--INTREPID NATIVE--COUNTRY APPARENTLY
IMPROVES--DISAPPOINTMENTS--WATER FOUND--APPEARANCE OF THE STONY
DESERT--NIGHT THEREON--THE EARTHY PLAIN--HILLS RAISED BY
REFRACTION--RECOMMENCEMENT OF THE SAND RIDGES--THEIR UNDEVIATING
REGULARITY--CONJECTURES AS TO THE DESERT--RELATIVE POSITION OF LAKE
TORRENS--CONCLUDING REMARKS.
On the morning of the 14th Mr. Browne and I mounted our horses, and left
the camp at 9 a.m., followed by the men I had selected, and crossing the
grassy plain in a N.W. direction, soon found ourselves amidst sand hills
and scrub.
As I have stated I had determined to preserve a course of 45 degrees to
the west of north, or in other words a north-west course, but the reader
will readily believe that in such a country I had no distant object on
which to rely.
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