Beyond it, on both sides, were barren stony plains, on which salsolaceous plants alone grew.
About 13 miles to the westward the pine ridges commenced, and between us and these were large flats of grassy land, over which the waters of the creek spread in times of flood.
The white owl here appeared, like other birds, at noon-day; but there were also numerous other night birds.

Here too the black-shouldered hawk collected in flights of thirty or forty constantly on the wing, but we never saw them take any prey; nor, (although we invariably examined their gizzards,) could we discover upon what they lived.
Our lunars placed us in long.

141 degrees 18 minutes 2 seconds E.and lat.

30 degrees 49 minutes 29 seconds S.Up to this point we had traversed nothing but a desert, which, as far as our examinations had extended, was worse on either side than the line on which we were moving; how much further that gloomy region extended, or rather how far we were destined to wander into it, was then a mystery.
The heat now became so great that it was almost unbearable, the thermometer every day rose to 112 degrees or 116 degrees in the shade, whilst in the direct rays of the sun from 140 degrees to 150 degrees.

I really felt much anxiety on account of Mr.Poole and Mr.Browne, who did not return to the camp until the 25th.