Sandy plains; leave the creek.

We passed some considerable plains, lying to the eastward of the creek, on parts of which the grass, though growing in tufts, was of luxuriant growth.  They were, however, more generally covered with salsola and rhagodia, and totally destitute of other vegetation, the soil upon them being a red sandy loam.  The paths across the plains, which varied in breadth from three to eight miles, were numerous; but they had not been recently trodden.  The creek continued to have a thick brush of casuarina and acacia near it, to the westward of which there was a rising open forest track; the timber upon it being chiefly box, cypress, and the acacia longifolia.  It was most probably connected with New Year’s Range, those elevations being about thirty miles distant.  It terminated in some gentle hills which, though covered in places with acacia shrub, were sufficiently open to afford an extensive view.  From their summit Oxley’s Table Land, towards which we had been gradually working our way, was distinctly visible, distant about twenty miles, and bearing by compass W. by S. On descending from these hills (called the Pink Hills, from the colour of a flower upon them) which were scattered over with fragments of slaty quartz, we traversed a box flat, apparently subject to overflow, having a barren sandy scrub to its left.  I had desired the men to preserve a W.N.W. direction, on leaving them, supposing that that course would have kept them near the creek; but, on overtaking the party, I found that they had wandered completely away from it.  The fact was, that the creek had taken a sudden bend to the eastward of N. and had thus thrown them out.  It was with some difficulty that we regained it before sunset; and we were at length obliged to stop for the night at a small plain, about a quarter of a mile short of it, but we had the satisfaction of having excellent feed for the animals.

Oxley’s table land.

Fearful that New Year’s Creek would take us too far to the eastward, and being anxious to keep westward as much as possible, it struck me that we could not, under existing circumstances, do better than make for Oxley’s Table Land.  Water, I knew, we should find in a swamp at it’s base, and we might discover some more encouraging feature than I had observed on my hasty visit to it.  We left the creek, therefore on the 23rd, and once more took up a westerly course.  Passing through a generally open country, we stopped at noon to rest the animals; and afterwards got on an excellent grazing forest track, which continued to the brush, through another part of which I had penetrated to the marsh more to the south.  While making our way through it, we came upon a small pond of water, and must have alarmed some natives, as there was a fresh made fire close to it.  Our journey had been unusually long, and the cattle had felt the heat so much, that the moment they saw water they rushed into it; and, as this created some confusion, I thought it best to stop where we were for the night.