As we encamped early, and I was
desirous of recruiting the horses, I employed myself in taking an
observation for latitude, whilst the black boy went out to look for an
opossum. He succeeded in bringing in a fine large one, which formed a
welcome addition to our meagre fare. The nights were still very frosty.
July 18. - In travelling to "Depot Pool," the native boy caught another
opossum, and we again halted early in the day for the sake of resting the
horses.
July 19. - Concealing among some rocks every thing we did not absolutely
require, we descended towards the plains, searching as we went, for the
most favourable line of road to them, for the drays, but at best the
country was very rough and stony.
After clearing the hills, we made a stage of twenty-eight miles along the
plains running under Flinders range, and at night encamped upon a channel
coming out of it, where we obtained water, but very little grass for our
horses.
July 20. - To-day I kept behind some of the low front hills, passing
through some extensive valleys between them and the main range; and as I
found abundance of water lying in pools upon the plains, I did not make
for the hills at all.
Before sunset, I got a shot at a kangaroo with my rifle, which, though
severely wounded, gave me a long chase before I could capture it; this
furnished us with a welcome and luxurious repast. We had been so long
living upon nothing but the bush baked bread, called damper (so named, I
imagine, from its heavy, sodden character), with the exception of the one
or two occasions upon which the native boy had added an opossum to our
fare, that we were delighted to obtain a supply of animal food for a
change; and the boy, to shew how he appreciated our good luck, ate
several pounds of it for his supper. Our horses were equally fortunate
with ourselves, for we obtained both good grass and water for them.
July 21. - Taking with us the best part of what was left of the kangaroo,
we crossed a stony ridge to the S. W., and at four miles struck a
watercourse with a large pool of water in its bed, and well adapted for a
halting place for the party on their route to the north: we had not seen
this in our outward course, having kept further to the westward in the
plains. From the water-hole, Mount Eyre bore W. 30 degrees S. distant
five miles.
