From a slight rise he looked southwards:-- "The horizon was unbroken; all appeared one slightly undulating plain, with just sufficient triodia and bushes growing on it to hide the red sand when viewed at a distance." Gregory reviewed the problem from a logical standpoint.

He decided to follow the northern limit of the desert to the westward, until he should find a southern-flowing watercourse which would afford him the opportunity to make a dash beyond its confines.
On the 15th of February he came to a small flat which gradually developed into a channel and ultimately became a creek, running first west, and then south-west.

This gave him his desired opening, and he pursued the course of the creek through good open country, finding the water plentiful, though shallow.

On February 20th, however, the channel of the creek was lost in an immense grassy plain.

The country to the south being sandy and unpromising, Gregory kept westwards, and succeeded in again picking up the channel, now finding the water in it to be slightly brackish.