The feelings then with which I returned to the creek after the failure of our last attempt to penetrate to the north may well be imagined.  I returned to it, as I have said, with perhaps a sullen determination to stand out the drought; but, on calm reflection, I found that I could not do so.  I could not indeed hide from myself that in the course of a few days my retreat to the Depot would unavoidably be cut off if rain should not fall.  Looking to the chance of our being delayed until our provisions should be consumed, and to the fact that we could not expect to get back to the Depot in less than three weeks, and that I could not hope for any amendment either in Mr. Browne or my men, so long as they were confined to the scanty diet we then had.  I determined on my return to the Park, thence to take out fresh hands, and to make another attempt to penetrate across the Desert in some other direction; but, as this measure, like our detention at the Depot, would involve a great loss of time, I proposed to myself again to divide the party, and to send Mr. Browne home with all the men, except Mr. Stuart and two others.  I saw no objection to such a course, and certainly did not anticipate any opposition to it on the part of my companion.  I resolved then, with a due regard to his state, to retrace my steps with all possible expedition; and, accordingly, directed that everything should be prepared for our retreat on the morning of the 14th, for the sky had cleared, and all prospect of rain had again vanished.  Although we were here so close to the Tropic, the climate was not oppressive.  The general temperature after noon was 84 degrees, the morning 46 degrees.  The prevailing wind was from S.S.E. to E.S.E. and it was invariably cold; at least we felt it so, and I regretted to observe, that in Mr. Browne’s case it caused a renewed attack of violent pains in the muscles and joints, from which he had before been somewhat free.  It is also remarkable, that up to this distant point, no material change had taken place in the character of the vegetation; with the exception of the few trees and plants I have mentioned the herbage of these sterile regions, and of the Darling were essentially the same, only with this difference, that here they were all more or less stunted, whereas, in the month of October, when we passed up the Darling, they were only just flowering, now in the month of September they had ripened their seed.

Before we commenced our journey back to the Depot, I named this “Eyre’s Creek.”  No doubt it is an important feature in the country where it exists.  Like the other creeks, however, it rises in plains, and either terminates in such or falls into the Stony Desert.  There can be no doubt, however, that to any one desiring to cross the continent to the north, Eyre’s Creek would afford great facilities; and if the traveller happened fortunately to arrive on it at a favourable moment he would have every chance of success.