33 



of the west and north-west, which reach to the summits of the 

 Musgrave and Macdonnell Ranges, the waters come down the 

 deeper channels of the Neales, Macumba, and Finke. Seldom, 

 however, do the waters of those last-mentioned three creeks run 

 right through to the lake. Their channels contain so much sand 

 that the flood is absorbed before it has completed half the leng-th 

 of its course. 



In fact, with regard to the longest and most important of these 

 creeks — the Finke— it is extremely doubtful whether its waters 

 ever reach the lake, but are not rather absorbed by the inter- 

 minable waste of sandhills which lie along the west side of the 

 Queensland border. 



In the region lying south and south-west of the lake, the creeks 

 are short and situated throughout their length in a country of 

 exceptionally small rainfall, consequently this portion of the great 

 plain presents the most arid and least-inviting part of its surface. 

 This region would be altogether impassable to travelling stock, 

 if storm waters were the only supplies obtainable, but at inter- 

 vals forming easy stages the beds of clay of the plain yields 

 to the pressure of waters beneath ; and so at numberless points, 

 the sites whereof are indicated by a low limestone mound, there 

 is an oozing out of water sufficient and unfailing for the require- 

 ments of stock, but insufficient to create a running rill extending 

 beyond the base of the mound. There it is either absorbed almost 

 immediately, or a small reed-fringed pool may be formed, accord- 

 ing to local circumstances or the amount of water issuing forth. 



The belt of country containing these springs reaches from Her- 

 gott Springs all round the south and west sides of the lake. They 

 become less numerous and more isolated as the distance increases 

 M'estward or north. Dalhousie Springs is an outlying system to 

 the northward, and is situated on the edge of the sandhill country 

 in which the Finke loses itself. 



All the country in which the springs occur has nearly the same 

 relative level and, excepting the actual surface of Lake Eyre, is 

 the lowest portion of the great plain. 



Leaving the Spring Country and ascending the watercourses, 

 the table-topped hills become more numerous and outlie more ex- 

 tensive areas of tableland. The plains or level parts are not so 

 extensive, and the sandhills are a prominent feature only along 

 the main valley bordering the channel. Patches of scrub, jirinci- 

 pally composed of mulga (Acacia aneura), with occasional 

 Casuarina (desert oak) and Eremophila, make their appearance. 

 At first alternating with open grassy plots, the scrub gradually 

 becomes more and more the prevailing feature as the limits of this 

 first division of country is reached. Still higher up the creeks, 

 their channels become deeper and more like gorges cut into the 

 c 



