have been water.  At nine miles we entered a dense brush of pinetrees, acacia and other shrubs growing on pure sand.  Through this we rode for more than 15 miles, to the great labour of our animals, as the soil was loose, and we had constantly to turn suddenly to avoid the matted and fallen timber.  In this forest the temperature was quite different from that on the plains, and as we advanced it became perfectly oppressive.  At about 15 miles we ascended a small clear sandy knoll, from whence we had a full view of Mount Lyell.  I had expected that we should have found some creek near it, but the moment my eye fell on that naked and desolate mountain my hopes vanished.  We had now approached it within five miles, and could discover its barren character.  Although of great height (2000 feet), there did not appear to be a blade of vegetation, excepting on the summit, where there were a few casuarinae, but the pines grew high up in its rugged ravines, and the brush continued even to its base.  I still however hoped that from the top we should see some creek or other, but in this expectation we were also disappointed.  The same kind of dark and gloomy brush extended for miles all round, nor could we either with the eye or the telescope discover any change.  Again to the eastward there were distant ranges, but no prominent hill or mountain to be seen.  One dense forest lay between us and them, within which I could not hope to find water, and as we had been without from the time we left the little creek in the ranges near the camp, I determined on retracing my steps, my object in this journey having been fully gratified by the results.  The country through which we had passed was barren enough, but that towards the Darling was still worse.  I should, however, have pushed on to Mount Babbage, which loomed large and bore a little to the eastward of north; but I did not see that I should gain anything by prolonging my journey.  We were now about 56 miles from the camp, and there was little likelihood of our finding any water on our way back; when we descended from the hill, therefore, I pressed into the pine forest, as far as I could, and then halted.  On the following morning we crossed the plains more to the north than we had before done.  About 11 a.m. we struck a creek, and startled a native dog in its bed which ran along the bank.  In following this animal we stumbled on a pool of water, and stopped to breakfast.  Wishing to examine the country there as far to the north as possible on my way back, I passed over the northern extremity of the ranges.  They there appeared gradually to terminate, and a broad belt of pine scrub from the westward stretched across the country, below me, to the east, until it joined the forest, through a lower part of which we had penetrated to Mount Lyell; but beyond this scrub nothing was to be seen.  On my return to the camp I examined the drays, and found that the hot weather had had a tremendous effect on the wheels; the felloes had shrunk greatly, and the tyres of all were loose.  I therefore had them wedged and put into serviceable condition.