42 



little is accumulated around the outlet of the chief or great 

 spring of the group. It is therefore my opinion that the lesser 

 springs at some former period constituted in turn the chief 

 spring, and that when the accumulation of travertine ascended 

 to a height sufficient to prevent, in a great measure, the free 

 outflow of water from them it found its escape in another place 

 on the flat where less resistance was offered to its outflow. 



Following the leading track across the plain as far as Kinde- 

 ber Creek, we continued our course until we reached the 

 Wangeyanna Springs. These springs occur in a valley or 

 ravine very similar to the Welcome, but the outflow of water 

 is not so great. The water, though alkaline to the taste, is far 

 more palatable than either those at the "Welcome or Boorloo. 

 G-radually ascending we obtained a fine view of Pole Creek 

 Range ahead. When flooded the Pole Creek must pour down 

 enormous quantities of water on account of the large extent of 

 highlands that are situated around its sources. The Davenport 

 Springs, which we next reached, are distributed over the bed 

 of the creek for the length of a quarter of a mile. Through 

 the evaporation of their waters a goodly amount of white saline 

 material has accumulated over the bed of the creek in the 

 vicinity of the springs. The water of the chief spring of the 

 group is not very palatable. It is nevertheless considered to 

 be of fair quality for stock purposes. To the south-west of 

 the main spring, at a distance of less than 300 yards, a bluff 

 of fundamental rocks occurs, consisting chiefly of old, dusky, 

 and purple-coloured slates, with a quartzite band of no great 

 thickness interbedded, the latter giving a bold outcrop and 

 peculiar prominence to the whole. The strike of the quartzite 

 is 10° south of west, dip 67° westerly. 



About two miles down the Davenport, on the eastern side, 

 fossil shells of secondary age were found scattered about on 

 the surface of a gentle rise. Indeed, it seems that wherever 

 the argillo-calcareous prominences occur fossils may be found. 

 As we passed to the north-east of the Finniss old head-station 

 we came upon drift and numerous sandhills. To fully account 

 for the drift sand, the country must have been partially 

 covered with desert sandstone after the secondary marine 

 strata were deposited. The winds and waste of centuries have 

 perfectly disintegrated the once consolidated eolian deposits, 

 and, so far as can be observed, no remains of the solid parts of 

 the formation now exist in the neighbourhood. 



On the western side of the creek, near Humphrey's Springs, 

 several of the argillo-calcareous knolls occur, with abundance of 

 fossil shells belonging to various species. This is the most prolific 

 spot I have seen in the north for fossil shells. A few paces north- 

 easterly from these low hills or knolls, on the south-western 



