The next day, still on a due east course (that on which he had travelled from the lake), and at five miles from where he had slept, Mr. Browne came on a salt lake, about 800 yards in circumference.  A third of the bed was under water, and half of the remainder was white with crystallized salt, that glittered in the sun’s rays, and looked like water at a distance.  At about five miles farther on there were two other lakes of the same kind, but both were dry and without any salt deposits in their beds.  At five miles beyond these lakes Mr. Browne intersected the Ana-branch of the Darling, which I had detached him to examine.  To within a short distance of the Ana-branch the country was similar to that through which he had passed the day before, but on nearing it he crossed an open plain.  This old channel of the Darling had been crossed by Mr. Eyre on a recent journey to the north, but at that time was dry.  Where Mr. Browne struck it the banks were rather high, and its course was N.W. by W. It was about eighty yards wide, with a strong current running upwards, caused by the back waters of the Murray.  Its general course for 12 miles was N. by E. The country was very open, and high banks, similar to those on the Murray, occurred alternately on either side.  The channel maintained the same appearance as far as Mr. Browne; rode and as he found the waters still running upwards, he considered that the object of his journey was attained, and that we should find no difficulty in pursuing our route northwards along this new line.  It may be necessary for me to inform the reader that no water ever flows down the Ana-branch from the north.  When Mr. Eyre first arrived on its banks it was dry, and he was consequently obliged to cross the country to the Darling itself, a distance of between 40 and 50 miles.  Pulcanti, the native I sent with Mr. Browne, however, made a rough sketch of the two channels, by which it appeared that the Ana-branch held very much to the eastward, in proof of which he pointed to a high line of trees, at a great distance, as being the line of the river Darling.  Considering from this that, even if water failed us in the Ana-branch, we should have no difficulty in crossing to the main stream, and that however short our progress might be, it would greatly curtail our journey to Laidley’s Ponds, I decided on trying the new route.

Mr. Browne saw a great many red kangaroos (foxy), some very young, others very large; and he chased a jerboa, which escaped him.  He also saw a new bird with a black crest, about the size of a thrush.

The morning of the 14th had been cloudy, but the day was beautifully fine; so that we had really enjoyed our march, if so it might be called.  From our tents there was a green and grassy slope to the shore of the lake, with a group of two or three immense trees, at distances of several hundred yards apart, and the tranquil waters lay backed by low blue hills.

On the morning of the 15th the barometer fell to 27.672, the thermometer standing at 56 degrees, at 8 a.m.  The air was heavy, the sky dull, and the flies exceedingly troublesome.  All these indications of an approaching change in the weather might have determined me to remain stationary, but I was anxious to push on.  I therefore directed Mr. Poole to complete the survey of the lake, and at eleven moved the whole party forward.