In This Desert, We Have Never Met With Any
Signs That Can Lead Us To Believe It Has Ever Been Before Crossed By Any
Human Being.
August 25.
- A smart frost during the night: the morning fine and clear.
At eight o'clock we proceeded on our route, taking a more easterly
direction according to circumstances. Between three and four miles from
our camp, we had an extensive view to the east and south-east, and saw
with extreme satisfaction a lofty chain of fine forest hills thinly
timbered, bearing east-south-east of us; and distant fourteen or fifteen
miles. To the east were extensive flats, bare of timber, and apparently
either composed of white sand, or covered with dead grass; our distance
would not enable us to distinguish which: these flats were bounded by
remote rising hills seemingly clear and open. A high peak, bearing
north, was named Kerr's Peak; and a very lofty mount, under which the
west extremity of the plains lay, was named Mount Tetley: and the
westernmost remarkable hill in the chain first mentioned, Whitwell Hill.
The bogginess and ruggedness of our route, for the remainder of the day,
sufficiently tried our strength: we accomplished however thirteen miles,
and halted in a small valley about four miles south of Whitwell Hill.
This valley was bounded east and west by rocky hills, but the soil was
better, and the grass of good quality. The base of these hills was of
close-grained white-coloured granite, or whinstone:
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