The following is a copy of the Report sent to the Governor, and to the Chairman of the Committee for promoting the expedition.
"Depot, near Mount Arden, July 22nd, 1840.
"Sir,--I have the honour to acquaint you for the information of His Excellency the Governor, and of the colonists interested in the northern expedition, with the progress made up to the present date.
"I arrived here with my party all well, on the 3rd July instant, and on the 6th I proceeded, accompanied by one of my native boys, on horseback, to reconnoitre Lake Torrens and the country to the north of the depot, leaving the party in camp to rest the horses and enable the overseer to get up, from the head of Spencer's Gulf, the supplies kindly sent by His Excellency the Governor in the WATERWITCH--her arrival having been signalised the evening previous to my leaving.

I arrived on the shores of Lake Torrens the third day after leaving the depot, and have ascertained that it is a basin of considerable magnitude, extending certainly over a space varying in width from 15 to 20 miles, and with a length of from 40 to 50, from its southern extremity, to the most northerly part of it, visible from a high summit in Flinders range, (about ninety miles north of Mount Arden).

The lake is girded with an outer ridge of sand, covered with salsolaceous plants, and with saline crusts, shewing above the ground at intervals.

Its waters appear to extend over a considerable surface, but they are, seemingly, shallow.

I could not approach the water, from the soft nature of that part of its bed, which is uncovered, and which appeared to reach from three to four miles from the outer bank to the water's edge.