“On the late expedition, at the Depot in lat. 29-1/2 deg. and long. 142 deg., I found myself in the direct line of migration to the north-west; and to that point of the compass, birds whom I knew to visit Van Diemen’s Land would, after watering, pass on.  Cockatoos, after a few hours’ rest, would wing their way to the north-west, as also would various water-birds, as well as pigeons, parrots, and paroquets, pursued by birds of the Accipitrine class.  From these indications I was led to look still more for the realization of my hopes, if I could but force my way to the necessary distance.

“I ran 170 miles without crossing a single water-course.  I travelled over salsolaceous plains, crossed sand-ridges, was turned from my westward course by salt-water lakes; and at last, on October 19th, at about 80 miles to the east of my former track, I found myself on the brink of the Stony Desert.  Coming suddenly on it I almost lost my breath.  If anything, it looked more forbidding than before.  Herbless and treeless, it filled more than half of the horizon.  Not an object was visible on which to steer, yet we held on our course by compass like a ship at sea.

“Poor Browne was in excruciating pain from scurvy.  Every day I expected to find him unable to stir.  My men were ill from exposure, scanty food, and muddy water; my horses leg-weary and reduced to skeletons.  I alone stood unscathed, but I could not bear to leave my companion in that heartless desert.

“Finding myself baffled to the north and to the west, seeing no hope of rain, realizing that my retreat was too probably already cut off, I reluctantly turned back to the depot, 443 miles distant, and only through the help of Providence did we at length reach it.”

Sturt, as he mounted to begin his retreat, was nearly induced to turn again by “a flock of paroquets that flew shrieking from the north towards Eyre’s Creek.  They proved that to the last we had followed with unerring precision the line of migration.”

SCOPE AND RESULTS OF CENTRAL EXPEDITION AS SUMMED UP BY STURT

My instructions directed me to gain the meridian of Mount Arden or that of 138 deg., with a view to determine whether there were any chain of mountains connected with the high lands seen by Mr. Eyre to the westward of Lake Torrens, and running into the interior from south-west to north-east.  I was ordered to push to the westward and to make the south the constant base of my operations.  I was prohibited from descending to the north-coast, but it was left optional with me to fall back on Moreton Bay if I should be forced to the eastward.  Whether I performed the task thus assigned to me or wavered in the accomplishment of it; whether I fell short of my duty, or yielded only to insuperable difficulties, the world will be enabled to judge.  That I found no fine country is to be regretted; however, I was not sent to find