He again despatched the party selected to return to the Darling, whose departure had been interrupted by Poole's untimely death, and, with renewed hope, made his preparations for the long-denied north-west.
Having first removed the depot to a better grassed locality, he made a short trip to the west.

On the 4th of August he found himself on the edge of an immense shallow, sandy basin, in which water was standing in detached sheets, "as blue as indigo, and as salt as brine." This he took to be a part of Lake Torrens.

He returned to the new depot, called Fort Grey, which was sixty or seventy miles to the north-west of the Glen, and arranged matters for his final departure.
McDouall Stuart was left in charge of the depot.

Dr.Browne accompanied the leader, and on the 14th of August a start was made.

For some distance, owing to the pools of surface water left by the recent rain, they had no difficulty in keeping a straightforward course.