Thence Austin made directly north, and passing through repellant country, such as always fell to the lot of the early western explorers in their initial efforts, he directed his course to a distant range of table-topped hills.

Here he found both grass and water, and named the highest elevation Mount Kenneth, after Kenneth Brown, a member of his party.

Thence he kept a north-east course, traversing stony plains intersected by the dry beds of sandy watercourses.

Here the party met with dire misfortune.

The horses ate from a patch of poisonous box plant, and nearly all of them were disabled.