124 keport — 1865. 



of streams of water in the valleys leads to the belief that there exist subterranean 

 water-courses. The Brook Kedron is crossed b} r an arch 9 feet wide. In some 

 years no water at all flows under the arch. After three or four days' rain it will 

 run on the surface for a few hours 2\ or 8 feet deep, but ceases to flow in one or 

 two hours after the rain abates ; if, however, heavy rain continues with little inter- 

 ruption for ten days, the stream will flow on for two or three days after the rain 

 has stopped. The depth of the soil in the valley-bottoms is probably very great ; 

 in the valley of Urtas it was found to be more than 20 feet. The valleys are con- 

 sequently very ill adapted for reservoirs of water, although the rain-fall is amply 

 sufficient. The nearest approach to a good site is the Wady-el-Byar, on the road 

 between Jerusalem and Hebron. The authors found no trace of ancient irrigation 

 works ; the Pools of Solomon would only water 65 acres for six months in the year 

 at the moderate depth of 2 feet, spread over the area watered. Near Nabliis, and 

 at other distant places, there are large streams of perennial water flowing out of the 

 rock ; these might (at a very considerable cost) be earned round the slopes of the 

 hills and conveyed from valley to valley for irrigation purposes. The ancient reser- 

 voirs for rain-water, of which there are many, are in a ruinous state, except the 

 upper Pool of Gihon aud Ilezekiah's Pool. The former is 315 feet long, 208 feet 

 wide, and 20 feet deep, and holds about 8,000,000 gallons, which, allowing 2,000,000 

 for evaporation, gives 6,000,000 as the annual available supply of the pool. Heze- 

 kiah's Pool holds about 4,000,000 gallons. Careful measurements and details of 

 construction of the various reservoirs are given by the authors, with suggestions for 

 their repair ; their total capacity would then be 44,147,000 gallons. Deduction 

 would, however, have to be made for evaporation, which, calculating the probable 

 amount of annual evaporation in this dry climate, with its mean temperature of 

 62°-6 at 60 inches, would be 8,881,562 gallons. In the temperate zone, with a mean 

 temperature of 52 p, the annual evaporation has been found to be between 36 and 

 37 inches. On the coast of South America (north latitude 10° 30'), with a mean 

 temperature of 81°-86, it was ascertained to be more than 100 inches annually. 



JU'Intryre's Journey across Australia, and Discovery of Traces of LeicJiJiardt. 

 By Dr. F. Mueller (Melbourne). 



Mr. Duncan MTntyre and Mr. Barnett, with a party of three natives and twenty- 

 five horses, started on the 21st of June, 1864, from the cattle stations on the River 

 Paroo, to explore the country for cattle-runs and dray-routes, shaping their course 

 towards the new settlement in Northern Australia. They reached Cooper's Creek 

 after a march of twenty-two days, crossing the creek about 50 miles below the 

 junction of the Thompson. Excellent country was found to the westward of 

 the Paroo, but no permanent water. From Cooper's Creek they continued until 

 Burk's track was crossed, and so far no difficulty in conveying stock was met with. 

 The course was then changed for the head waters of the Albert River. The Flin- 

 ders was struck on the 18th of August, a little south of Donor's Hills, and the river 

 followed from that point to the sea; the journey from Cooper's Creek to the sea 

 having occupied thirty-four days, being a little more than half the time taken by 

 either Burke or MTunlay. The country to the north-west of the point where 

 Cooper's Creek was crossed was very indifferent for a day or two, and waterless. 

 It gradually got better on reaching a water-sj - stem in which four new rivers were 

 found, the first of which was named by Mr. MTntyre the Docker. It then improved 

 daily, and splendid sheep country was crossed in that part where the Stony Desert 

 of Sturt is laid down. The ground in places was, however, covered with fragments 

 of stones, and in some places "paved," as described by Sturt, for a few miles. On 

 the whole, it was found to be a good grazing country, and particularly well adapted 

 for sheep. A hundred miles or so to the south of the tropic, the country assumes 

 a high, undulating character, with beautiful smooth downs ; and it continued 

 magnificent the whole way from this to the coast range. From the Gidf of 

 Carpentaria to the banks of the Darling an excellent road might easily be made, 

 along which a buggy could be driven without meeting with a single impediment. 

 The Flinders River district is now peopled by squatters down to within about 280 

 miles of the Gulf. The party did not take with them an ounce of meat, but earned 



