to burst our tank.  I therefore desired Lewis to stop, and gave the horses as much water as they would drink, still leaving a considerable quantity in the tank, of which I hoped we might yet avail ourselves.  Although we had found it impracticable to cross the ranges at the proposed point, Mr. Browne and I had managed to scramble up the most elevated part of them.  We appeared still to be amidst broken stony hills, from which there was no visible outlet.  There was a line of gum-trees, however, in a valley to the southwest of us, as if growing on the side of a creek that would in such case be tributary to the main creek on which our tents were pitched, and we hoped, by running along the base of the hills to the south and turning into the valley, to force our way onwards.  At about three and a half miles our anticipations were verified by our arriving opposite to an opening leading northwards into the hills.  This proved to be the valley we had noticed.  A line of gum-trees marked the course of a small creek, which passing behind a little hill at the entrance of the valley, reappeared on the other side, and then trended to the N.W.  Entering the valley and pursuing our way up it, at two miles we crossed another small creek, tributary to the first, and at a mile beyond halted for the night, without having found water.  Although there was a little grass on the plains between the camp and the ranges, there was none in the valley in which we stopped.  Low bushes of rhagodia and atriplex were alone to be seen, growing on a red, tenacious, yet somewhat sandy soil, whilst the ranges themselves were covered with low brush.

The water had almost all leaked out of the tank when we examined it, so that it was no longer of any service to us.  On the morning of the 7th, therefore, I sent Lewis and Sullivan with the cart back to the camp, retaining Flood and Morgan to attend on Mr. Browne and myself.

When we started I directed them to follow up the creek, which did not appear to continue much further, and on arriving at the head of it to cross the range, where it was low, in the hope that they would strike the opposite fall of waters in descending on the other side, whilst I went with Mr. Browne to a hill from which I was anxious to take bearings, although Lewis, who had already been on the top of it, assured me that there was nothing new to be seen.  However, we found the view to be extensive enough to enable us to judge better of the character of the country than from any other point on which we had yet been.  It was traversed by numerous rocky ridges, that extended both to the north and south beyond the range of vision.  Many peaks shewed themselves in the distance, and I was enabled to connect this point with “Coonbaralba,” the hill above the camp.  The ridge I had directed Flood to cross was connected with this hill, and appeared to create a division of the waters thereabouts.  All however to the north or northwest was as yet confused.  There was no visible termination of the ranges in any direction, nor could we see any feature to guide us in our movements.