We could see no sign of Lake Torrens. Latitude, 29 degrees 53 minutes 58
seconds.

Thursday, 28th April, Large Stony Plain. Saddled by break of day. Changed
my course to see if the water is still at Yarra Wirta. In order to avoid
the heavy sand hills, which will not do for the horses if there is no
water, I steered for the creek, struck it a little to the north of where
I crossed it on my former expedition, and followed it down. Passed my
former encampment, and found no water there, but on following it down to
where I considered it permanent, I found water still there. I shall give
the horses the afternoon to recruit, and start early in the morning.
Distance to-day, twenty-three miles.

Friday, 29th April, Chambers Creek. Started at sunrise for about a mile
to that part of the north shore of the lake opposite to where the Yarra
Wirta empties itself into it. The country close to the lake is very stony
and scanty of feed; there is some water in it, but it is very salt; a few
salt creeks run into it, but no great body of water. I ascended a hill
for which I had been steering, and obtained an observation of the sun and
bearings. Latitude, 30 degrees 8 minutes 11 seconds. There is no
appearance of any lake between this point and Mount Deception; it appears
to be a stony plain with some ridges of sand hills. This hill, which I
have named Mount Polly, for distinction, is the easternmost of the
flat-topped hills on the north side of the lake, and is a spur from the
Stuart range. It is very stony, and there is grass nearly to the top; it
is very level, and extends for six miles in a north-westerly direction. I
saw that there was little prospect of my obtaining water to-night; and
knowing that the natives had been seen within a few miles of the camp, I
felt anxious about the safety of my party. I determined to proceed
towards the camp on a north-westerly course. Arrived at the creek at