some opening leading towards the interior in that direction.  After weighing well the advantages and disadvantages of each (and there were many objections to them all,) I determined upon adopting the last, for reasons which will be found in my Report sent to the Governor, and to the Chairman of the Northern Expedition Committee from Port Lincoln. [Note 8:  Vide Chapter IX.] My mind having thus been made up, I knew, from former experience, that I had no time to lose, now that the weather was showery and favourable, and that if I delayed at all in putting my plans into execution I might probably be unable to cross from Mount Arden to Streaky Bay.  The distance between these two points was upwards of two hundred miles, through a barren and desert region, in which, though among high ranges, I had on a former occasion been unable to discover any permanent water, and through which we could only hope to pass by taking advantage of the puddles left by the late rains; I therefore decided upon halting at the depot to rest the horses even for a day; and the party had no sooner reached their encampment, than, while one portion of the men took the horses up the watercourse to water, the others were employed in digging up the stores we had buried here, and in repacking and rearranging all the loads ready to move on again immediately.  By the evening all the arrangements were completed and the whole party retired to rest much fatigued.

Chapter VIII.

Proceed to the westward—­channel of communication between lake Torrens
and Spencer’s gulf—­Baxter’s range—­divide the party—­route towards port
Lincoln—­scrub—­fruitless search for water—­send dray back for
water—­plundered by the natives—­return of dray—­dense scrub—­refuge
rocks—­dense scrub—­salt creek—­mount hill—­dense scrub—­large
watercourse—­arrive at A station—­rich and grassy valleys—­character of
port Lincoln peninsula—­unable to procure supplies—­engage A boat to send
over to Adelaide—­buy sheep.

September 13.—­Upon leaving the depot this morning I was obliged to leave behind a very large tarpaulin which we did not require, and which from the extra weight we had last night put upon the drays, we could not conveniently carry.  Steering to the south-west we came at twelve miles to the head of Spencer’s Gulf, and crossed the channel connecting it with Lake Torrens.  At this place it is not very wide, but its bed like that of the lake is soft