which when traced up, often for many miles, I found to emanate from
gorges of the hills, and to have neither water nor springs in them.

I had fully calculated upon finding permanent water at this very high
range, and was proportionally disappointed at not succeeding, especially
after having toiled to the summit, and tired both myself and horses in
tracing up its watercourses. There was now no other alternative left me,
than to make back for the hills to the eastward, in the hope of being
more fortunate there. I had only found permanent water once, (at Salt
watercourse) since I left my party, having depended entirely upon puddles
of rain water for subsistence; but it now became imperative on me to turn
my attention exclusively to this subject, not only to enable me to bring
up my men, but to secure the possibility of my own return, as every day
that passed dried up more and more the small puddles I had found in the
plains.

Descending Mount Deception, we travelled five miles upon a S. E. course,
and encamped upon a small dry watercourse for the night, with good grass
for our horses, but without water.

July 13.--Bending our steps backwards, to search for water in the eastern
hills, we were lucky enough to fall in with a puddle in the plains, at
which we watered our horses, and again proceeded.

Selecting one of the larger watercourses running out from the hills, we
traced it up a considerable distance, examining all its minor branches
carefully, and sparing no pains in seeking a permanent spring of water;
the channel, however, gradually diminished in size, as we occasionally
passed the junctions of small branches from the various gorges; the
gum-trees on its course were either dead or dying; the hills, which at a