At two miles on our former bearing Topar stopped close to another well, but it was dry and worthless; we therefore pushed on to the next, and after removing a quantity of rubbish, found a sufficiency of water both for ourselves and the horses, but it was bitter to the taste, and when boiled was as black as ink from the decoction of gum leaves; the water being evidently the partial and surface drainage from the hills.  We stopped here however to breakfast.  Whilst so employed, Topar’s quick and watchful eye caught sight of some smoke rising from the bed of the creek about a mile above us.  He was now all impatience to be off, to overtake the party who had kindled it.  Nothing could exceed his vehement impetuosity and impatience, but this was of no avail, as the natives who had probably seen our approach, kept in front of us and avoided a meeting.  We rode for five miles on our original bearing of 135 degrees to the west of north, or N.W. the direct bearing of the hill for which we were making, Coonbaralba.  At five miles Topar insisted on crossing the creek, and led us over the plains on a bearing of 157 degrees to the west of north, thus changing his purpose altogether.  He assigned as a reason that there was no water in the creek higher up, and that we must go to another place where there was some.  I was somewhat reluctant to consent to this, but at length gave way to him; we had not however gone more than two and a half miles, when he again caught sight of smoke due west of us, and was as earnest in his desire to return to the creek as he had been to leave it.  Being myself anxious to communicate with the natives I now the more readily yielded to his entreaties.  Where we came upon it there was a quantity of grass in its bed, but although we saw the fire at which they had been, the natives again escaped us.  Mr. Browne and Topar ran their track up the creek, and soon reached a hut opposite to which there was a well.  On ascending a little from its bed they discovered a small pool of water in the centre of a watercourse joining the main branch hereabouts from the hills.  Round this little pool there was an unusual verdure.  From this point we continued to trace the creek upwards, keeping it in sight; but the ground was so stony and rough, and the brush approached so close to the banks that I descended into its bed, and halted at sunset after a fatiguing day’s journey without water, about which we did not much care; the horses having had a good drink not long before and their feed being good, the want of water was not much felt by them.  Topar wished to go on to some other water at which he expected to find the natives, and did not hesitate for a moment in thus contradicting his former assertion.  This however I would not allow him to do alone, but Mr. Browne good-naturedly walked with him up the creek, and at less than a mile came up on a long and beautiful pond He informed me that it was serpentine in shape and more than eighty yards long, but as there was no grass in its neighbourhood I did not move to it.  It was evident that Topar had intended leading us past this water, and it was owing to his anxiety to see the natives that we had now discovered it.