May 23, 1859.] EXPLORATIONS W. AND N.W. FROM S. AUSTRALIA. 335 



have demonstrated that a vast tract of well-watered and fertile 

 lands exists to the north-west of that colony. 



The efforts of Mr. Herschel Babbage, to which I last year di- 

 rected yonr attention, were for some time unsuccessful, owing to the 

 intensely saline condition of the country through which he had to 

 pass, and the difficulty of transporting the apparatus he had ingeni- 

 ously contrived for the conversion of salt water into fresh. As 

 soon, however, as the heavy teams and drays were dispensed 

 with, and that, joined by Mr. C. Gregory, riding and pack-horses 

 were substituted, this explorer showed how capable he was of 

 defining with precision a considerable portion of new country in 

 which fresh water was reached. Fixing with accuracy the latitude 

 and longitude of several points, he proved the existence of dry 

 land between the masses of water which had been previously united 

 upon our maps under the name of Lake Torrens, while he defined 

 their outlines, distinguishing the northernmost of them by the 

 name of Lake Gregory. 



Various other documents and sketch-maps relating to South 

 Australia, which have been forwarded to the Society by Her Ma- 

 jesty's Colonial Secretary, demonstrate what vigorous exertions 

 have been made by other explorers. Thus, Major Warburton 

 defined large tracts of country north of the Gawler Eanges, i. e., 

 between Streaky Bay on the south-west, and the saline country 

 occupied by Lake Gairdner and its adjacent lagoons. The larger 

 part of this country seems to be incapable of supporting colonists, 

 from the want of fresh water, and its prevalent saline character. 

 This active officer also shows that, in many parts, the saline con- 

 dition of the surface of the country is due to the existence of 

 saliferous rocks beneath, being in this respect analogous to the 

 saline steppes of Kussia. Police trooper Geharty, in a separate 

 tour, proved the extension of lands equally sterile with those 

 explored by Major Warburton, which was to be expected, as the 

 tract lies contiguous to the sterile coast-range of Eyre. To 

 the east of Lakes Torrens and Gregory the explorations of Mr. 

 Samuel Parry and Corporal Burt are worthy of notice ; the former 

 having determined several points of latitude and longitude, and 

 having given us information respecting the nature of the rocks 

 which occupy the region intermediate between Lake Torrens and 

 Angepena, near the settled parts of the colony. 



In the mean time, whilst Mr. Babbage was occupied with his 

 ^rlier difficulties, and other explorers were determining the real 



