One slight excursion to the north was made to connect with Oxley's furthest south, made when on his Lachlan expedition; but though they did not actually verify the spot, Sturt reckoned that he went within twenty miles of it, showing how narrowly that explorer had missed the discovery of the Murrumbidgee.
As they got lower down the river they found themselves travelling through the flat desolate country that reminded them only too forcibly of late experiences on the Macquarie.

Owing to some information gleaned from the natives, Sturt and MacLeay rode north to try and again come upon the Lachlan.

They struck a dry channel, which Sturt believed was the drainage from the Lachlan into the Murrumbidgee.

This proved to be correct, as natives afterwards testified that they had seen the two white men actually on the Lachlan.
On the 25th, which was an intensely hot day, MacLeay, who was on ahead, found himself suddenly confronted with a boundless sea of reeds, and the river itself had suddenly vanished.

He sent a mounted messenger back to Sturt with these disastrous tidings.