They returned with the rather startling intelligence that, from the top of a peak of the range, Poole had seen a large lake studded with islands.

Although in his published journal, written some time after his return, Sturt makes light of Poole’s fancied lake, which of course was the effect of a mirage, at that time his ardent fancy, and the extreme likelihood of the existence of a lake in that locality, made him believe that he was on the eve of an important discovery.  In a letter to Mr. Morphett of Adelaide, he wrote:—­

“Poole has just returned from the range.  I have not time to write over again.  He says there are high ranges to the North and North-West, and water, a sea, extending along the horizon from South-West by South and then East of North, in which there are a number of lofty ranges and islands, as far as the eye can reach.  What is all this?  To-morrow we start for the ranges, and then for the waters, the strange waters, on which boat never swam and over which flag never floated.  But both shall ere long.  We have the heart of the interior laid open to us, and shall be off with a flowing sheet in a few days.  Poole says that the sea was a deep blue, and that in the midst of it was a conical island of great height.”

Poor Sturt!  No boat was ever to float upon that visionary sea, nor flag to wave over those dream-born waters.  To those who know the experiences that awaited the expedition, it is pathetic to read of the leader’s soaring hopes, as delusive as the desert mirage itself.

The whole of the party now removed to a small shallow lakelet, the commencement of the Williora channel (Laidley’s Ponds).  After a short excursion to the distant ranges reported by Poole, Sturt, accompanied by Browne and two men, went ahead for the purpose of finding water of a sufficient permanency to remove the whole of the party to.  At the small lake where they were then encamped, there was the ever-present likelihood of a conflict with the pugnacious natives of the Darling.  He was successful in finding what he wanted, and on the 4th of November the main body of the expedition, finally leaving the Darling basin, removed to the new water depot.

The next day Sturt, with Browne and three men and the cart, started on another trip in search of water ahead.  This was found in small quantities, but rain coming on, Sturt returned and sent Poole out again to search while the camp was being moved.  On his return, Poole reported having seen some brackish lakes, and also having caught sight of Eyre’s Mount Serle.  They were now well on the western slope of the Barrier Range, and, but for the providential discovery of a fine creek to the northward, which was called Flood’s creek, after one of the party, they would have been unable to maintain their position.  To Flood’s creek the camp was removed, and Sturt congratulated himself on the steady and satisfactory progress he was making.

[Illustration.  Sturt’s Depot Glen.  The Glen, eroded in vertical silurian slate, is less than a mile long.  Poole rests by the creek where the gorge opens quite abruptly on to a vast cretaceous plain.  Photo by the Reverend J.M.  Curran.]