December 10th, 1840.
This day we had a very pleasant journey, in the meandering calm river to which the gulf diminishes from the point of Lowley, bordered on both sides with beautiful green mangrove bushes and in the background with magnificent mountain ranges. Mount Brown(088) and the chain ( 050 ) of which it forms a part affords a view unique in South Australia. We drove as far as Dr. Harvey thought it was advisable, and in the middle of the afternoon we dropped anchor in a beautiful area. I went ashore, but could not go inland because of the marshy nature of the bank and the returning tide.

December 11th, 1840.
This day will remain in my memory as long as I live. I never remember suffering so much from thirst as on that hot and difficult day. After we had brought our ship up under a small hill about a mile higher, we each filled a bottle with water and prepared for a hike around the very tip of the gulf. It might have been around 9 a.m. when we set out, but even at that early hour of the day it was unbearably hot.

The infamous north wind blew with all its scorching and drying intensity and the ground, sparsely covered with low brush, glowed like a heated oven. We had hardly walked for five minutes when one of our number suggested that we take a rest, to which all readily agreed, and already thirst reminded everyone of their bottle. The tip of the gulf was not so distant as we had imagined, and the hope of soon reaching the end fired our ( 051 ) courage. When we had reached our destination and rested for a few minutes under the thin shade of stunted bushes, we headed back, little surprised or pleased by the barren sight of the land. But it seemed to me a good sign that we saw some native footsteps and a fire under Mount Arden(089). After we had covered about a third of our way, my companions suggested that we rest, but me and the native, who had long since drunk our water and were tormented by thirst, preferred to hurry on. But thirst and, as a result, weakness, soon rose to such a high level that we had to lie down every five minutes, and the fear that the weakness would increase and we would never reach the ship drove us forward. I tried the leaves of the Casuarina(090) to quench my gnawing thirst, but they were as dry as straw, then I resorted to the leaves of the native fig, and although they were warm and disgusting, they still gave me a little relief. The native was almost as weak and sad as I was, but he took me by the hand several times and ( 052 ) cheered me up with the hope that the ship was not far off. It would be in vain to try to describe my joy when I saw the ship; And the wicked Frenchman almost thwarted us when I called for him to come by dinghy and he mockingly shouted to me that there was too much wind and he couldn't dare, but he still came and a hearty refreshment drink(091) soon refreshed our weakened strength. My companions arrived two hours later, namely W. Smith, but as exhausted as [us]. But Dr. Harvey still had his strength, having a bottle of water, one and a half the size of ours. Everyone thanked their God that our journey had been completed so far and went to sleep with the pleasant hope that tomorrow's untroubled return home would be happier and quicker than our journey to here.