The region before us appeared to consist of a low sandy country without
either trees or shrubs, save a few stunted bushes. On the east this was
backed by high rugged ranges, very barren in appearance, and extending
northward as far as the eye could reach, beyond this level country to the
West, and stretching far to the north-west, appeared a broad glittering
stripe, looking like water, and constituting the bed of Lake Torrens. The
lake appeared to be about twenty-five miles off, and of considerable
breadth; but at so great distance, it was impossible to say whether there
was actually any water in it or not.
Having completed my observations we descended again to the plains
steering north-west for the lake. At two miles from Mount Eyre we found a
puddle of water in the midst of the plains, and halted at it for the
night. Our horses had good grass, but would not touch the water, which
was extremely thick and muddy. Upon trying it ourselves we found it was
not usable, even after it had been strained twice through a handkerchief,
whilst boiling only thickened it; it was a deep red colour, from the
soil, and was certainly an extraordinary and unpalatable mixture.
July 8. - Our horses having strayed this morning I sent the native boy to
look for them, but as he did not return in a reasonable time, I got
anxious and went after him myself, leaving the saddles and provisions at
our sleeping place. In about four miles I met the boy returning with the
runaways, which had rambled for several miles, though they had abundance
of good feed around the camp; fortunately we found every thing safe when
we got back, but if any natives had accidentally passed that way we
should probably have lost everything, and been left in very awkward
predicament.
This is a risk I have frequently been obliged to incur, and is one of the
inconveniences resulting from so small a number as two travelling alone;
it it is not always practicable from want of grass to tether the horses,
and frequently when they are tethered the ropes break, and occasion the
necessity of both individuals leaving the encampment to search for them
at the same time.
Moving on to the N. W. by N. we passed over heavy sandy ridges, with
barren red plains between, and in one of the latter we found a puddle of
rain water, this upon tasting. I found to be rather saline from the
nature of the soil upon which it lay, the horses, however, drank it
readily, and we put some in a small keg for ourselves. The only
vegetation to be seen consisted of a few small stunted trees and shrubs,
and even these as we approached the vicinity of the lake disappeared
altogether, and gave place to Salsolaceous plants, the country being open
and barren in the extreme.
I found Lake Torrens completely girded by a steep sandy ridge, exactly
like the sandy ridges bounding the sea shore, no rocks or stones were
visible any where, but many saline coasts peeped out in the outer ridge,
and upon descending westerly to its basin, I found the dry bed of the
lake coated completely over with a crust of salt, forming one unbroken
sheet of pure white, and glittering brilliantly in the sun. On stepping
upon this I found that it yielded to the foot, and that below the surface
the bed of the lake consisted of a soft mud, and the further we advanced
to the westward the more boggy it got, so that at last it became quite
impossible to proceed, and I was obliged to return to the outer margin of
the lake without ascertaining whether there was water on the surface of
its bed further west or not.
The extraordinary deception caused by mirage and refraction, arising from
the state of the atmosphere in these regions, makes it almost impossible
to believe the evidence of one's own eyesight; but as far as I could
judge under these circumstances, it appeared to me that there was water
in the bed of the lake at a distance of four or five miles from where I
was, and at this point Lake Torrens was about fifteen or twenty miles
across, having high land bounding it to the west, seemingly a
continuation of the table land at the head of Spencer's gulf on its
western side.
Foiled in the hope of reaching the water, I stood gazing on the dismal
prospect before me with feelings of chagrin and gloom. I can hardly say I
felt disappointed, for my expectations in this quarter had never been
sanguine; but I could not view unmoved, a scene which from its character
and extent, I well knew must exercise a great influence over my future
plans and hopes: the vast area of the lake was before me interminable as
far as the eye could see to the northward, and the country upon its
shore, was desolate and forbidding.
It was evident, that I could never hope to take my party across the lake,
and it was equally evident, that I should not be able to travel around
its shores, from the total absence of all fresh water, grass, or wood,
whilst the very saline nature of the soil in the surrounding country,
made even the rain water salt, after lying for an hour or two upon the
ground. My only chance of success now lay in the non-termination of
Flinders range, and in the prospect it held out to me, that by continuing
our course along it we might be able to procure grass and water in its
recesses, until we were either taken beyond Lake Torrens, or led to some
practicable opening to the north.
