For the next few days the party were dependent for water on occasional springs and scanty clay-pans.  On the 27th, when following down a creek, they suddenly came upon a fine spring, apparently permanent, which is described by Forrest in his journal as one of the best he had ever seen, both the grass and other herbage around being of fine quality.  This place he named Windich Springs, after Tommy Windich, one of the blacks who had now been with Forrest on three expeditions.  To the north-west was a fine range of hills, which he named the Carnarvon Range.  On leaving this oasis, the explorers found themselves in less attractive country; spinifex and sand became more frequent features of the landscape, and the occasional water-supply became precarious.

On the 2nd of June, Forrest discovered the spring which aided them so greatly in their efforts to cross.  This he called Weld Springs, and he describes it as unlimited in supply, clear, fresh, and extending down its gully for over twenty chains.  At this relief camp they halted in order to rest the horses.

On the 8th Forrest started on a scouting expedition ahead, taking only a black boy with him.  He fully anticipated finding water, for as yet they had not reached a waterless region, and he left instructions for the rest to follow in his tracks in a day’s time.  He was unfortunate in his selection of a course, for it led them for more than twenty miles over undulating sand-ridges, without a sight of any indication of the presence of water.  At daybreak, from the top of a low stony rise, he obtained an extensive outlook.  Far as he could see to the north and east, nothing was visible but the level unending spinifex; not a watercourse or a hill in sight.  Evidently they were trespassing on the edge of the central desert.

Turning back they met the remainder of the party about twenty miles from Weld Springs; and the whole body retreated to their lately deserted camp.  After a day’s rest, Alexander Forrest and a black boy started to the south-east searching for water.  At one o’clock sixty or seventy natives appeared on the brow of the rise overlooking the camp.  They were painted and dressed in war costume, and evidently planning an attack.  After some consultation they suddenly descended the slope and dashed at the camp.  Fortunately the whites were on the alert, and a well-directed volley sent them in head-long retreat to their vantage-point on the brow of the ridge, where they held a fresh council of war.  Presently they renewed the assault, but a rifle-shot from Forrest put an end to the skirmish.  That evening Alexander and the boy returned, and were much surprised to hear of the adventure with the blacks.  They had been over fifty miles from camp and had passed over some well-grassed country but had found no water.  As their detention at Weld Springs promised to be indefinite, the party then built a rough shelter of stones in order to ensure themselves some measure of protection against night attacks.  When this small defence work was finished, Forrest again reconnoitred ahead for water accompanied by one black boy, and found some clay waterholes, of no great extent, but sufficient for camping purposes.  Thither the camp was shifted.