HORN EXPEDITION — NARRATIVE. 97 



Aftor half a day's spell horo wo loft and retraced our steps through the 

 Walker (Joff-e anfl then on to the Tllara water-hole on the Palmer River. From 

 this point, instead of going oastwaixls towards the Finko at Running Water.s, we 

 turned north and followed the Palmer. The river was running in a somewhat 

 wide gorge wliich every now and then widened out into a scrub and grass-covei-ed 

 Hat amongst the hills. Along the river were a series of small water-lioles on 

 which were a solitary pair of shags and a few black duck and teal. As usual, a 

 yard away from water all was dry and the bed was marked with patches of salt. 



We camped for the night in the valley after a short day's travel of only 

 seventeen miles. It was perliaps our coldest night — at least we felt the cold most 

 severely — as we woke at 5 a.m. to find our water bags frozen solid and the 

 tiiermometer registering Ifi' F., at which point it remained until suniise. As 

 usual we camped in the open, going to sleep by the side of a fire and as there was 

 a slight hoar frost we felt the cold far more than in the perfectly dry parts. 

 Dressing in the open air, when the temperature is sixteen degrees below freezing- 

 point, is accomplished as soon as possible. An hour or two after sunrise we were 

 glad to t.ake advantage of any cool shade. 



All day long we followed the windings of the river, .sometimes thi-ough open 

 flats, sometimes along deep, rocky gorges several miles in length where hinh 

 precipices rose on either side directly fi'om the narrow river bed, and where it was 

 difficult amongst jagged masses of rock of all shapes and sizes which ))locked the 

 bed of the stream (or rather would have done so had there been any sti'eam) to 

 find a safe footing for the horses. When the river is actually flowing the passage 

 of the.se gorges is quite inipo.ssible, but during the dry season they contain no 

 water or at most only a few small pools. 



Emerging from the last gorge we halted to give the horses a rest by the side 

 of a pool known as P>owsen's Hole. On a high rocky bank in the last gorge we 

 saw the largest tussock of " old man Porcupine " grass which we met with during 

 the Expedition. Its height was at least seven feet and its diameter fifteen feet. 

 As usual in all the older tussocks the central part had died away. By the water- 

 hole, under stones where the sand was moist, were as usual numbers of a, little 

 l)rown carab beetle {Tacliys sfeiiccri) which proved to be a new species, but which 

 is very conmion in this situation by the side of all the water-holes in the James 

 and McDonnell Ranges. In the water-hole itself Vallisneria and Chara wen^ 

 growing with a few snails such as hidorella newcfliiiH and Aiuyliis oustraliciis 

 creeping about on them in abundance. The latter has a little shell not more than 



