for the master of the WATERWITCH, for whose arrival we now kept a
constant and anxious look out. In the evening about eight o'clock the
sentinel on the hill reported a fire on the opposite side of Spencer's
gulf. Upon receiving this intelligence I had blue lights exhibited, and
rockets fired, which in a little time were replied to by rockets from the
gulf and the lighting up of a second fire on shore assuring me at once of
the safe arrival of the cutter.




Chapter IV.



MAKE ARRANGEMENTS FOR GETTING UP STORES FROM THE WATERWITCH--LEAVE THE
PARTY--SALT WATERCOURSE--MOUNT EYRE--ASPECT OF THE COUNTRY--LAKE
TORRENS--RETURN TOWARDS THE HILLS--NATIVE FEMALE--SALINE CHARACTER OF THE
COUNTRY--MOUNT DECEPTION--REACH THE EASTERN HILLS--LARGE
WATERCOURSES--WATER HOLE IN A ROCK--GRASSY BUT HILLY COUNTRY--RUNNING
STREAM--ASCEND A RANGE--RETURN HOMEWARDS--DECAY OF TREES IN THE
WATERCOURSES--SHOOT A KANGAROO--ARRIVE AT THE DEPOT--BURY STORES--MAKE
PREPARATIONS FOR LEAVING--SEND DESPATCHES TO THE VESSEL.


July 6.--BEING anxious to pursue my explorations, and unwilling to lose
another day solely for the purpose of receiving my letters, I sent down
my overseer to arrange about getting our stores up from the vessel, which
was about fourteen miles away, and to request the master to await my
return from the north, and in the interval employ himself in surveying