CHAPTER V 



The Desert Country. 

 From the George Gill Range to Ayers Rock and Mount Olga. 



(iiii lv|iiii>nicMt— Photoi;rai)liin;; in Ceiitnil Austr.ilia— r>c'p:utni'c froiu l!ec(iy Creek— Camp for the Ni^'lit after 

 travellini;' sixteen miles — Sanilliill (ium Trees— Winiiall's Ri(l','e, the most Southern Outcrop seen of Sihirian 

 (^uartzite— The I'ituri riant— Uses to which it is put by the Blacks— Kamaran's Well— A most unlikely S)>ot 

 for Water— The Remains of a Ijroken down Moinid Spring;'- Din^'oes in the Water— Reach Lake Amadeus at 

 Sunset— Cross the Salt I'.cil and (':inip on the South Side— The Present State of Desiccation of the Lake 

 Ama<leus Area — Lease Lake Aniailcus — ( 'oulthard's Well — Travel all Day over Porcui)ine Sandhills and in tlic 

 Afternoon Reach Ayers Rock — \iew of tlic Rock from the Sandhills— Camp by a Small Water-bole in a ( 'liasm 

 in the Rock — No Permanent Water at Ayers Rock — Spend the Day round the Rock— Native Dra\vin;^s on the 

 Walls of Small Caves — Honey Ants — Tadpoles of Ilclioporus pictus in the Water-hole — View across the Plains 

 towards Jlonnt Dl^a at Sunset— A Family of Sandhill Rlaeks— Ride across the Plain to Mount Ol.ija -Camp 

 at the Entrance to a Deep Ravine— Tietken's Marked Trees — No Permanent Water at Mount Olya ; only a 

 Small Rock-Pool now remaining— Camp of Wild I'.lack.s- Ride back to Ayers Rock — Cookinj; of a Kanj^aroo 

 b\ the I'.laeks — Return to the Geor<;c (fill Ranijo — Increase of the Water in Eagot C'reek— Crossinjt the 

 (k'ortje (iill Ran,;;e- Petermann Pound— Cross the Station Ran^e and reach Tempe Downs— Leave Tempc 

 Downs and follow the Walker back to the Palmer— The Gorges along the Palmer— Low Temperature at 

 Night Time — A Ijarge Tussock of Porcupine Crass — Follow the Palmer up to the Missionary Plain an<l 

 Cam)) close to Pine Point — A New Species of lirass Tree— Sporadic Distribution of Certain Species of 

 Plants— The Jlissionary Plains— (iossc Range— Rock Pigeons— Camp in the Southern McDonnell Hills— 

 In the Jlorning join the .Main Party at the Old Glen Helen Station. 



Wk had with us in addition to oiii- liding horses two pack lioi'sos carrying our 

 provisions, a small sup[)ly of water and not least in inipoitance tiie camera, tlio 

 careful packing of which, to prevent its Ijcing completely smashed up as the horses 

 jogged on or sometimes crashed through the Mulga send), was not an easy mattei'. 

 Photographing in Central Australia, when on the march fi'om day to day is not 

 altogether pleasant or easy. The light is intense a.nd extra precautions must he 

 taK'cn to pi-event liglit fogging of the jilates ; hut worse than this is the dry heat 

 which was so great during the day time — though at nights the temperature was 

 below zero — that it recjuires a specially well made camera to stand the combined 

 strain of continuous knocking about and the great range in temperature. I had 

 two cameras with me — a whole and a quarter plate, the latter fitted with an 

 Eastman roll holder. I'otli cameras were made by Messrs. Watson and Sons, and 

 each of them had licfore this ])een taken over some of the roughest parts of 

 Victoria and Ta,smania. Tiiey were not specially chosen for the work, than which 

 nothing could have afforded a more severe test ; but, except for external disligure- 

 ment owing to their liciiig thrown off the back of a camel, they suHimmmI little 

 damage and served their purpos(> admirably. 



