After surmounting a rugged tableland, they camped that night at some springs.
The next night, the 29th of August, they came, some time after dark, on to the bank of a wide river lined with the magnificent weeping tea-trees.
As three of the horses were tired out, Gregory determined to follow this river up for a day or two, instead of closing with a range of granite hills, capped with horizontal sandstones, which loomed threateningly in their path.
So for two or three days they continued on the Oakover, as he christened the river, and followed its western branch; a tributary of that led them in amongst the ranges, which were threaded by an easy pass.

On the 2nd of September they got through the ranges and emerged upon open sandy plains of great extent, with nothing visible across the vast expanse but low ridges of red drift-sand.

Here it was Gregory's lot to experience a test almost equal to one of the grim tramps that had tried Sturt and Eyre.
He camped at a native deserted camp, and the next day failing to find any water ahead, had to return and form a depot.

Here he left five of the party with instructions to remain three days and then fall back upon the Oakover.

He himself, with Brown and Harding, and six horses, went on to find a passage.
So far he had encountered fewer obstacles, and made more encouraging discoveries than had fallen to the lot of any other Western Australian explorer; but he was now confronted with the stern presence that had daunted the bravest and best in Australia.