Left the bivouac at 7.15 a.m.; course north; the country more open; 9.25
came on a large native well of good water in a slight hollow trending
westward; having watered the horses and filled the kegs, continued our
journey over sandy plains, covered with short coarse scrub; many hummocks
of loose sand, covered partially with scrub, lay on each side of our
track. At noon passed the last sandy ridge; before us lay an immense
plain, covered with thickets, and not a hill or valley could be
observed--the country seemed to settle into one vast level of dense and
almost impenetrable scrub or thicket. At 1 p.m. entered it, and continued
our route through it; although the bush-fires, which had burnt some large
patches, greatly assisted us; 4.15 not finding any grass, we steered
west, but at 5.15 were compelled to halt for the night in a dense
thicket, without a single blade of grass or even scrub of any kind which
could afford food for the horses; water it was hopeless to look for; and
after a supper of raw bacon, damper, and a pint of water each, we retired
to rest.

WATERLESS COUNTRY AND DENSE SCRUB NORTH OF MURCHISON RIVER.

27th September.

At 7.0 a.m. set out on a north course; at 8.5, finding the thicket almost
impassable, I ascended a cypress-tree, where a most cheerless view met my
sight to the north, east, and west; not a break was visible--nothing but
thicket in all directions, with scarcely an undulation of any kind; the
view to the north-west was most extensive--nearly twenty miles of thicket
could be seen, with a surface as level as the sea. Not considering it
prudent to proceed onwards, the thicket being too dense to advance
without the greatest difficulty, the saddle-bags being almost torn to
pieces, and the horses quite worn out with continual exertions in