I was fully aware, before leaving the old Depot, that as soon as we got a few miles distant from the hills, I should be unable to continue my angles, and should thenceforth have to rely on bearings.

So long as we were chaining there was no great fear of miscalculating position; so far then as the second Depot, it would not be difficult for any other traveller to follow my course.

From that point, as I have already stated, I ran on a compass bearing of 25 degrees to the west of north, or on a N.N.W.course, and adhered to it up to the point I have now led the reader, a new bearing having been taken on some object still farther in advance from every sand hill we ascended.

This appeared to me to be the most satisfactory way of computing our distances and position, for the latitude necessarily correcting both, the amount of error could not be very great.

I now found, on this principle, that I was in latitude 27 degrees 4 minutes 40 seconds south, and in longitude, by account, 139 degrees 10 minutes east.
On reaching the cart I learnt that Lewis, while wandering about, had stumbled on a fine sheet of water, in a valley about two miles to the south of us, and that Joseph and Flood had shot a couple of ducks, or I should have said widgeon of the common kind.
On the 26th I directed Flood to keep close under the sandy ridge, to the termination of which Mr.Browne and I had been, and to move into the plain on the original bearing of 25 degrees to the west of north until I should overtake him; Mr.Browne and I then mounted and went to see the water Lewis had discovered, for which we had not had time the previous evening.