A thunder-storm falling at the time made him adhere to his original determination, and defer the examination of the new river until his return.
Seven days after crossing Cooper's Creek, he had the negative satisfaction of seeing his gloomy forebodings fulfilled.

Once more he gazed over the dreary waste of the stony desert, unchanged and repellant as ever.

They crossed it, but were again turned back by sandhill and salt plain, and forced to retrace their steps to Cooper's Creek.

This creek Sturt followed up for many days, but found that it came from a more easterly direction than the route he desired to travel along; moreover, the one broad channel that they had commenced to follow became divided into several ana-branches, running through plains subject to inundation.
This became so tiring to their now exhausted horses, who were woefully footsore, that he reluctantly turned back.

He had found the creek peopled with well-nurtured natives, and the prospects of advancing were brighter than they had ever been; but both Sturt and his men were weak and ill, and the horses almost incapable of further effort.