220 WHITE, Most Extensive Ornitholor/ical Tour ["^isf S"* 



(Tcciiiopyyia castaiiotis) , as well as other common species. 

 Leavini,^ Blood's Creek at 1 p.m., we left the main track and went 

 to the west, where we soon overtook a train of 66 camels on 

 their way to Hermensburg Mission Station, situated on the upper 

 waters of the Finke River in the MacDonnell Ranges. Many 

 of the animals had huge sheets of black iron on either side, the 

 iron being used in the construction of tanks; others had long 

 sections of water troughing lashed up and down on their packs. 

 We were now travelling over the open undulating tablelands or 

 Gibber Plains. An occasional Australian Dotterel (Peltoliyas 

 aitstralis) was met with, and two small parties of Gibber- Birds 

 {.Ishbyia loi'ensis) were seen. We crossed the boundary line 

 into the Northern Territory at 4 p.m., and arrived at Charlotte 

 Waters telegraph station soon afterwards. We were on the 

 move again at 6.30 a.m. next day, and reached New Crown Point 

 Station, 19 miles, at 8 a.m. Very heavy sandy track. We re- 

 mained here onl\' a few minutes to speak with the manager. 



It was here that most of our party had their first sight 

 of the Finke River. The cars were running well, and we were 

 soon on the northern side of the deei> sandy bed of the Goyder 

 River, where the strange green flowering i)ea ])lant (Crotolaria 

 ciiumniiJianui) was found growing on the sandy country in pro- 

 fusion. There was a good deal of saltbush {Atroplex) here, as 

 well as Mulga {Acacia aneura) and Broad-leaf Mulga (.i. kem- 

 peana). We now had heavy sand and gravel ridge in between, 

 till we reached the Finke again, and crossed at the wonderful 

 Yellow Cliff, where the great ice-striated boulders are to be seen 

 protruding from the river bank. Crossing the sandy river-bed 

 again, we pulled uj) at Old Crown Point to have our lunch. Then 

 we followed up the timber along the bank, when a flock of Red- 

 Breasted Babblers (Poinatostoiiuis niheciiliis) were noted — the 

 furthest south that I have observed this bird. I'assing the won- 

 derful mount — "Crown Point" — the cars charged the loose sandy 

 bed of the Finke, and a high sandbank on the far side (up which 

 we laid matting to give the wheels a grip. Proceeding up, the 

 bed of a watercourse strewn with water-worn boulders, we 

 passed through Cunningham's Gap at 3.J>0 |>.m. Sonn Mt. 

 Musgrave showed out to the west, and later on we passetl right 

 under Mt. Squire — the strange sister hills being to the west. 



After traversing some loose sandy country we reached 

 Hprseshoe Bend, on the Finke, and remained at this weird place 

 for the night. Making a start next morning, Tuesday. May U)th, 

 the cars ])l()ughed their way up the sandy bed of the Finke to 

 come out up the bank in a mile and a half. Having gained the 

 U)\} of the cliffs, we ])lunged into the great nci)ot sanclhills. con- 

 tinuous sand ridge for 28 miles, with very narrow flats in be- 

 tween. The drift sand is blown up in places to the height of 

 70 feet. We were over these dreaded sandhills by 4 ]).ni.. ihe 

 first time any car had ever been through on its own »jowcr. We 



