ciiArriiR IV. 



The Highep Steppes. 



The Southern Part of the James Range and the George Gill 



and Levi Ranges. 



Till' .lames Ilanue— Tlir Police Camp at Illaimiita— ( Villeetinn aiiiniiust, the Ranges— First a]ipcaranC'C of r.lack 

 Karth— Kaitluvoiins- Si'^Tiilieaiicf of tlie preseiiie of Acanthodiiliis ami .Mierophyiira in Ceiit.l'al Aiistialia— 

 The Il]iilla Creek — I'ei-sisteiiee of Land Mollusea amon;;-.st t.lie Kan.nes— I'lsli in tlu: Water-pools in the 

 Ilpilla (loi-;;e — Alisenee in Central Anstnilia of anythinf;' like a ^'reat Mountain Uan:^!' with sheltei-ed and 

 fertile Valleys — Neees'^ity of liein'^ in the distriit durin;; tlie various Seasons— Leave lllamurta and travel on 

 to the I'alnier Kiver— Camp near to the Illara Water-hole — Native Tohacco I'l.ant— Ahsenee of Kroj;s and 

 other animals in-ohahly due to low temperature at niylits— The I'arty divides into two seetions, one {;oinu' 

 to Teiiipe Downs the otiier to tlie I'etermann Creek— Tempo Downs Station— \'iew from the Station 

 Raiifje— The Walker River and (ioruo— The hahits of the I'oreuiiinc-t;i''iss Ant — A Corrohhoree at Tempo 

 Downs— Musical Instnmients amongst the Blacks- The Main Camp at the I'etennann Creek — Traverse of 

 the Levi Ran^c by Mr. Watt — From the Camp on the Petcrmanu to Trickett Creek and alonjf the southern 

 face of the Geortfe (iiU Raii^e to li.ayot Creek Our Camps at Ba^'ot and Reedy Creeks— Dcscriiition of the 

 Reedy Creek Camp— Cum (.'reeks— View from the Escarpment of the Georye Gill Rang-e— Collectinfi; amonyst 

 the Sandliills to the south of the Ran.:;e — Jerhoa-rats, Mice and Antechinoniys— Traekinj,' of Enuis hy the 

 Iilacks — I'enny SjirinHS— Cycads, lOnceiihalartos macdonnelli — A l'i<'turescpie (!orj>e— N.ative Rock Drawinijs 

 at needy Creek— Pi.^inents used h\ the Natives— Di\ision into Two Parties— The Main Camp travels 

 eastward to Laurie Creek and then to the McDonnell Range— A Small Party under the guidance of Mr. 

 E. C. C'owle uoes soutli across Lake Amadeus to visit Avers Rock and Mount Ol^a. 



The .Tamos Range is tlio name nivcii to a large iiuiiil)ef of ridges which run 

 rouglily pai-allel to one auotlirr fr-om ea.st to west. In the (joological set'tion of 

 tlie work it is used to include the ranges usu.ally spoken of as the .raines, 

 Krichaull' and Wa,terhouse and a,lso the Silurian or Ordovieian Ridge forming 

 pait of tlic McDonnells. 



On its way down from the north the main Finke cuts its way across range 

 after range in a series of deep gorges, .'tnd eveiywhere the liills a.i'e intersected 

 with \alleys of various size iK^nined in l)y more or less precipitous rocks of red 

 sandstone, on which grow tig trees and pines. 



The Police Camp lies at the opening of one of these valley.s, down which runs 

 a creek, dry at the time of our visit except for one or two small water-holes. A 

 carefully ten<le(l gai'den hy tlie creek sid(^ yields an abundant supply of vegetaliles, 

 and here for the first, time sve saw what might- l)e called lil;irk e;rrth, which w.as 

 more or less moist and very dill'ereiit from the dry, sa.ndy .-uid loatny ground 

 elsewhere. 



