128 HORN FA'PEDITION — NARRATIVE. 



clpstniction and in that of all tho yonng ones, l)iit that during this period she is 

 severely handicapped by not being able to reach shelter rapidly. It may perhaps 

 be oljjected to this that such an animal as a ra)jl)it is handicapped by ha\'ing to 

 carry the young ones in utero for a much longer time than the marsupial does, but 

 anyone who has seen the well-developed, pouch young ones of a marsupial will 

 realise how much more cumbersome a burden they are than the uterine embryos 

 of such an animal as a wild ral)bit. 



Early on the morning of 13th July we left camp intending if possiljle to get 

 through the ranges and camp the next night on the Burt Plains. Leaving 

 Paisley r)lurt' to the west we followed up the Hugh until we came to the gorge, 

 through which it has cut a way for itself just at the eastern base of P.riid'cley 

 Dluff. This spot is interesting, as it was through this very gorge that in March, 

 IHGO, McDouall Stuart was able to malce his way across the McDonnells and to 

 reach for the first time the centre of the continent. The creek bed in the gorge 

 was occupied by a water-hole leaving just enough room for the camels to pass. 

 North of the gorge we found ourselves in a jumble of low hills covered with 

 Porcupine grass, Eremophilas, Cassias and Acacias, and at noon halted by a 

 water-hole to give the camels and horses a rest. 



To the .south of us the main range could lie seen stretching east and west witli 

 Brinkley Bluff standing out clearly ; to the north nothing but low rough hills 

 could be seen. About five or six miles north of the range we crossed tlie 

 watershed, and from this onwards the small creeks flowed northwards. 



For some hours we were winding in and out and over the hills — very 

 difficult travelling for the camels. Just at sunset we led them up a high gneissic 

 range and with considerable difficulty, as ugly rocky ledges had to be climbed, 

 we reached the top and .saw stretching far away to the northern horizon the 

 broad, scrub-covered Burt Plains. To the north-west lay Mount Solitaire, and 

 away in the distance isolated hills could be seen, whilst eastwards the McDonnell 

 Range trended somewhat towards the north. 



It required considerable care to take the camels safely down the steep face of 

 the hill, liut at length we reached the plain and camped at dusk in the sandy bed 

 of a dry creek. 



A flock of more than fifty black cockatoos were screeching overhead evidently 

 much disturbed by our appearance on the scene. We had only travelled in a direct 

 line some sixteen miles, but the country had been so rough and difficult that it had 

 taken us ten hours' hard work in which to traverse this short distance. 



