13. 33. S.,
long. 146. E.; the variation of the compass 8. 08. E.
June 6. - A mild pleasant morning: set forward on our journey to the
westward and north-west, in hopes of finding a better country: at two
o'clock halted about two miles from Peel's range, after going about
eight miles through a very thick cypress scrub; the country equally bad
as on any of the foregoing days. We saw no signs of water during our
route: the whole country seems burnt up with long continued drought; no
traces of natives, or any game seen.
After two hours' search a small hole of water was found at the foot of
the range, sufficient for the horses, and in a hole in the rocks a
little clearer was procured for ourselves.
June 7. - Set forward to the north-west, the horses being a little
fresher than for some days past. Halted at four o'clock, having gone ten
miles through a country which, for barrenness and desolation, can I
think have no equal; it was a continued scrub, and where there was
timber it chiefly consisted of small cypress: we saw no water as usual,
but stopped on some burnt grass near the base of a low range of stony
hills west of Peel's range, from which we are distant eight or ten
miles. These ranges abound with native dogs; their howlings are
incessant, day as well as night:
