PROCEED TO THE WESTWARD - CHANNEL OF COMMUNICATION BETWEEN LAKE TORRENS
AND SPENCER'S GULF - BAXTER'S RANGE - DIVIDE THE PARTY - ROUTE TOWARDS PORT
LINCOLN - SCRUB - FRUITLESS SEARCH FOR WATER - SEND DRAY BACK FOR
WATER - PLUNDERED BY THE NATIVES - RETURN OF DRAY - DENSE SCRUB - REFUGE
ROCKS - DENSE SCRUB - SALT CREEK - MOUNT HILL - DENSE SCRUB - LARGE
WATERCOURSE - ARRIVE AT A STATION - RICH AND GRASSY VALLEYS - CHARACTER OF
PORT LINCOLN PENINSULA - UNABLE TO PROCURE SUPPLIES - ENGAGE A BOAT TO SEND
OVER TO ADELAIDE - BUY SHEEP.
September 13. - UPON leaving the depot this morning I was obliged to leave
behind a very large tarpaulin which we did not require, and which from
the extra weight we had last night put upon the drays, we could not
conveniently carry. Steering to the south-west we came at twelve miles to
the head of Spencer's Gulf, and crossed the channel connecting it with
Lake Torrens. At this place it is not very wide, but its bed like that of
the lake is soft and boggy, with salt water mixed with the mud. We had a
good deal of difficulty in getting over it, and one of the drays having
stuck fast, we had to unload it, carrying the things over on men's backs.
A few miles beyond this we halted for the night, where there was good
grass for the horses and plenty of water in the puddles around us. We
crossed principally during the day, a rather heavy sandy country, but
were now encamped in plains of a firmer and better character for the
drays.
September 14. - Travelling on through open plains with loose gravelly
stones, lying on their surface, we passed to the south of a small
table-topped hill, visible from Mount Arden, and very much resembling the
fragments of table land that I had met with to the north. This however
was somewhat larger than those, and though steep-sided as they were it
did not disclose the same white strata of chalk and gypsum, its formation
being more rocky and of rather a slaty character.
September 15. - Pushing on rapidly over extensive plains very similar to
those we had already crossed, we arrived, after a long stage, under
Baxter's range, and encamped upon a small channel coming from it, with
abundance of water and good grass. This range is high and rocky, rising
abruptly out of the plains, and distinctly visible from Mount Arden, from
which it is about fifty miles distant. Its formation is entirely
conglomerate of rather a coarse description. Among its rugged overhanging
steeps are many of the large red species of wallabie similar to those we
had seen to the north at the Scott. Two of these we shot. The latitude of
our camp at Baxter's range was 32 degrees 40 minutes S.
September 16. - Remained in camp to-day to rest the horses and prepare for
dividing the party, as from the great abundance of rain that had fallen,
I no longer apprehended a scarcity of water on the route to Streaky Bay,
and therefore decided upon sending my overseer across with the party,
whilst I myself took a dray down direct to Port Lincoln, on the west side
of Spencer's Gulf, to obtain additional supplies, with the intention of
joining them again at Streaky Bay.
