P R E F A C E. 



Jii 1891, Sir Thomas Elder, whose name is inseparable from 

 Australian exploration, equipped an exceptionally well-organised 

 party t;o explore tlie untrodden country in the irjterior of this 

 continent. The expedition left Warrina, on the Great Northern 

 Railway, 633 miles from Adelaide, with the intention of exploi-ing 

 the country to the westward lying between the parallels of 27 ° 

 and lid ; however, the unfa\orable character of the season pre- 

 vented the instructions of the promoter from being carried out, 

 and the only new country passed over was on the traverse froni 

 Ca\-enagh Range to A^ictoria Spring. On reaching Annean Station 

 m the Murchison District of West Australia in January 1S92, 

 the party was recalled. 



The Journal of this Expedition, written by the leader, Mr. 

 IJavid Lindsay, was published in 1893, under the auspices of the 

 South Australian Bi-anch of the Royal Geographical Society of 

 Australia. 



The publication of the Scientific Reports of the Expedition 

 was undertaken by the Royal Society of South Austi'alia; but tlie 

 issue of Part 1 and Part 2 having exhausted the available funds 

 of the Society the further publication of the Reports was aban- 

 doned. Now, after the lapse of three years, tlu-ougli the gene- 

 rosity of Mr. Robert Barr-Smith, who has defrayed the entire 

 cost of the publication of Part 3, Vol. XVI., wliich was reserved 

 for the Scientitic Results of the Elder Exploring Expedition, is 

 finally completed. 



