Mount Hopeless.  The three of us then came to the conclusion that it would be better to make a second attempt to reach Mount Hopeless, as we were then as strong as we were likely to be, our daily allowance being then reduced.  Mr. Burke asked each of us whether we were willing to make another attempt to reach the South Australian settlements, and we decided on going; we took with us what remained of the provisions we had planted—­two-and-a-half pounds of oatmeal, a small quantity of flour, and the dried meat:  this, with powder and shot, and other small articles, made up our swags to thirty pounds each, and Mr. Burke carried one billy of water; and I another.  We had not gone far before we came on a flat, where I saw a plant growing which I took to be clover, and on looking closer saw the seed, and called out that I had found the nardoo; they were very glad when I found it.  We travelled three days, and struck a watercourse coming south from Cooper’s Creek; we traced this as it branched out and re-formed in the plains, until we at last lost it in flat country; sandhills were in front of us, for which we made, and travelled all day but found no water.  We were all greatly fatigued, as our rations now consisted of only one small Johnny cake and three sticks of dried meat daily.  We camped that evening about four o’clock, intending to push next day until two o’clock P.M., and then, should we not find water, to return.  We travelled and found no water, and the three of us sat down and rested for one hour, and then turned back.  We all felt satisfied that had there been a few days’ rain we could have got through:  we were then, according to Mr. Wills’s calculation, forty-five miles from the creek.  We travelled, on the day we turned back, very late, and the following evening reached the nearest water at the creek.  We gathered some nardoo and boiled the seeds, as we were unable to pound them.  The following day we reached the main creek; and knowing where there was a fine waterhole and native gunyahs, we went there intending to save what remained of our flour and dried meat for the purpose of making another attempt to reach Mount Hopeless.  On the following day Mr. Wills and I went out to gather nardoo, of which we obtained a supply sufficient for three days, and finding a pounding stone at the gunyahs, Mr. Burke and I pounded the seed, which was such slow work that we were compelled to use half flour and half nardoo.  Mr. Burke and Mr. Wills then went down the creek for the remainder of the dried meat which we had planted; and we had now all our things with us, gathering nardoo and living the best way we could.  Mr. Burke requested Mr. Wills to go up the creek as far as the depot, and to place a note in the plant there, stating that we were then living on the creek, the former note having stated that we were on our road to South Australia.  He also was to bury there the field-books of the journey to the Gulf.  Before starting he got three pounds of flour and four pounds of pounded nardoo, and about a pound of meat, as he expected to be absent about eight days.  During his absence I gathered nardoo and pounded it, as Mr. Burke wished to lay in a supply in case of rain.