supply of permanent water.  Their latitude at this point was 29 degrees 47 minutes S., and up to it no change for the better had taken place in the appearance of the country.  On Monday, the 15th, Mr. Poole ascended several hills to take bearings before he moved on; he then proceeded up the creek to the north-west, and passed from fifteen to twenty large water-holes.  At about three miles, Mr. Poole found himself on an open table land, on which the creek turned to the west.  He, therefore, left it, and at two miles crossed a branch creek with water and grass.  At 7 1/2 miles farther to the north crossed another creek, followed it for a mile, when it joined a larger one, the course of which was to the north-east.  In this creek there were numerous large pools of water.  Crossing it, Mr. Poole ascended a hill to take bearings, from which he descended to a third creek, where he stopped for the night.  On the following morning he continued his journey to the north, being anxious to report to me the character of the ranges.  At 12 miles over open plains he intersected a creek trending to the eastward, in which there was an abundant supply of water; but this creek differed from the others in having muddy water, and but little vegetation in its neighbourhood.  Passed some native huts, and saw twenty wild turkeys.  At 10 miles from this creek Mr. Poole struck another, the ranges being still 12 miles distant.  The horses having travelled for the last 10 miles over barren stony plains, had lost their shoes, and were suffering greatly.  Mr. Poole, therefore, stopped at this place, and on consulting with Mr. Browne, determined to return to the camp without delay.  Accordingly on the following morning he rode to the hills with Mr. Browne, leaving Mack with the other horses to await his return, and at 10 a.m. ascended the range.  The view from it was not at all encouraging.  The hills appeared to trend to the N.E., and were all of them flat-topped and treeless.  The country to the west and north-west was dark with scrub, and the whole region barren and desolate.  After taking bearings, Mr. Poole descended, returned to the creek on which he had left Mack, and as I have already stated, reached the camp on the evening of the 25th.

It will be obvious to the reader that the great danger I had to apprehend was that of having my retreat cut off from the failure of water in my rear; or if I advanced without first of all exploring the country, of losing the greater number of my cattle.  It may be said that my officers had now removed every difficulty; but notwithstanding that Mr. Poole was sanguine in his report of the probable permanency of the water he had found, I hesitated whether to advance or not; but considering that under all circumstances the water they had found would still be available for a considerable time, and that it would enable me to push still further to the north, I decided on moving forward at once; but the weather was at this time so terrifically hot, that I hardly dared move whilst