crossing our line, bearing to a high range east of us 93 degrees 30
minutes. About eight miles in the same direction there is the appearance
of a long salt lake. At nine miles and a half, on a sand hill, I obtained
the following bearings: Mount North-west, 60 degrees 30 minutes; Mount
Deception, 95 degrees. At eleven miles and a half passed a large reedy
swamp on our left, dry. At seventeen miles sand hills ceased. At eighteen
miles and a half the sand hills again commenced, and we changed our
course to north for three miles. Camped for the night at a creek of
permanent water, very good. The last four miles of to-day's journey have
been over very stony rises with salt bush and a little grass.

Wednesday, 23rd June, Permanent Water Creek. The horses had strayed so
far that we did not get a start until 10 a.m. Bearing to-day, 318
degrees. At two miles crossed a tea-tree creek, in which there is water,
coming from the stony rises, and running to the north of east. At six
miles the sand hills again commence. To this place we have come over a
stony plain, covered on the surface with fragments of limestone, quartz,
and ironstone, with salt bush and grass. In a watery season it must be
well covered with grass; the old grass is lying between the salt bushes.
We have a view of part of the lake (Torrens) bearing north-east about
fifteen or twenty miles from us; to the west again the stony rises,
apparently more open. At ten miles, in the sand hills, we have again a
view of Flinders range. The bearings are: Mount North-west, 78 degrees 35
minutes; Mount Deception, 107 degrees. At fourteen and a half miles we
found a clay-pan of water, with beautiful green feed for the horses. As
we don't know when we shall find more water, and as Forster has a damper
to bake, I decide to camp for the rest of the day. Our route has lain
over heavy sand hills for the last eight miles.

Thursday, 24th June, Sand Hills. At 8.30 we left on a course of 340