Having decided upon ridingon a head of my party to reconnoitre, as soon
as the WATERWITCH should arrive, I at once commenced my preparations, and
made the overseer put new shoes on the horses I intended to take with me.
The very stony character of the country we had been lately traversing and
the singularly hard nature of the stone itself, had caused the shoes to
wear out very rapidly, and there was hardly a horse in the teams that did
not now require new shoes; fortunately we had brought a very large supply
with us, and my overseer was a skilful and expeditious farrier. At dusk a
watch was set upon one of the hills near us, to look out for signals from
the WATERWITCH in the direction of Spencer's gulf, but none were seen.

July 4.--Whilst writing in my tent this evening, my attention was
attracted by the notes of swans, and upon going out I perceived a flight
of several of the black species coming up from the southward; when they
had got over the tents, they appeared to be alarmed and wheeled to the
eastward, but soon returning, they took a nearly due northerly course.
This was encouraging for us, and augured well for the existence of some
considerable body of water inland, but we hoped and expected that a few
days would perhaps give us a clue to the object of their flight.

Sunday, July 5.--A day of rest to all. In the afternoon I employed myself
in writing out instructions for the overseer during my absence, as also
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.