We journeyed as usual over the river flats, and occasionally crossed narrow sandy parts projecting into them.  From one of these Mr. Poole was the first to catch a glimpse of the hills for which we had been looking out so long and anxiously.  They apparently formed part of a low range, and bore N.N.W. from him, but his view was very indistinct, and a small cone was the only marked object he could distinguish.  He observed a line of gum-trees extending to the westward, and a solitary signal fire bore due west from him, and threw up a dark column of smoke high into the sky above that depressed interior.  A meridian altitude placed us in latitude 32 degrees 33 minutes 0 seconds S., from which it appeared that we were not more than eight or ten miles from Laidley’s Ponds, but we halted short of them, and received visits from a great many of the natives during the afternoon, who came to us with their families, a circumstance which led me to hope that we should get on very well with them.  Poor Toonda here heard of the death of some relative during his absence, and had a great cry over it.  He and the native who communicated the news sat down opposite to one another with crossed legs, and their hands on each other’s shoulders.  They then inclined their heads forward, so as to rest on each other’s breasts and wept violently.  This overflow of grief, however, did not last long, and Toonda shortly afterwards came to me for some flour for his friend, who he said was very hungry.

As it appeared to me that we should have to remain for some time in the neighbourhood of Laidley’s Ponds, I had directed my inquiries to the state of the country near them, and learnt both from Nadbuck and Toonda, that we should find an abundance of grass for the cattle.  I was not however very well satisfied with the change that had taken place within a few miles, in the appearance of the river, and the size of the flats, these latter having greatly diminished, and become less verdant.  On the 10th we started on a west course, but at about a mile changed it for a due north one, which we kept for about five miles over plains rather more than usually elevated above the river flats.  From these plains the range was distinctly visible, now bearing N. 10 degrees E., and N. 26 degrees and 38 degrees W., distant 35 miles.  It still appeared low, nor could we make out its character; three cones marked its southern extremity, and I concluded that it was a part of Scrope’s Range.  With the exception of these hills there were none other visible from Laidley’s Ponds.

The ground whereon we now travelled was hard and firm, so that we progressed rapidly, and at five miles descended into a bare flat of whitish clay, on which a few bushes of polygonum were alone growing under box-trees.  At about two hundred yards we were stopped by a watercourse, into which the floods of the Darling were flowing with great velocity.  It was about fifty yards broad, had low muddy banks, and was decidedly the poorest