In doing this we crossed several spurs, and found tolerably wide and grassy flats between them.

Following one of these down we soon got on the open plains, and about half-past seven met Mr.Poole, who had left the party to go to a fire he had noticed to the eastward, which he thought was a signal from us that we had found water; but such had not been our good fortune.
I now halted the party until the moon should rise, and we threw ourselves on the ground to take a temporary repose, the evening being cool and agreeable.

At 11 we again moved on, keeping a north course, under Mr.
Poole's guidance, partly over stony plains, and partly over plains of better quality, having some little grass upon them, until 8 a.m.of the morning of the 29th, when we stopped for an hour.

As day dawned, Mr.
Poole had caught sight of the hill, as he thought, to the base of which he wished to lead the party, and under this impression we continued our northerly course at 9, until by degrees we entered a low brush, and from it got into a pine forest and amongst ridges of sand.

Mr.Poole had crossed a similar country; but the sandy ridges had soon ceased, and in the hope that such would now be the case he pushed forward until it was too late to retreat, for the exertion had already been very great to the animals in so heated and inhospitable a desert.