HORN EXPEDITION — PHYSICAL GEOORAPIIY. 11 



]i;ir'tiiig cxtfiuliiig aJinig the iioi t licrii edge of tlicsc ranges. Tlie wuter-partiiig 

 does not, thfi't't'oie, tr;i\('rs(3 wliat are now tlic most ele\ate(l points in the ranges, 

 sucli as Mounts (Jilleii, 8nndei', ete., l)ut lies wlioUy to the north of the ridge 

 containing tliese points. Tiiis faet prol)al)ly indieates that tlie siunniit of tlie areli, 

 whieh originally determined the line of water-jiarting, lay near the northern edge 

 of the MclJoiniell Jtanges. 



The mean elevation of the northei'n watershed is nearly 3000 feet a])ove sea 

 level. The water-parting of the Finke Basin runs along the northern edge of the 

 McDonnell Ranges westerly to ahout Mount Ziel. Fi'oni this point a straight 

 line to the north-western extremity of (Jardiner Uange would nearly represent 

 the north-west boundary of the basin. The western line of water-parting extends 

 from this latter point to Ueorge Gill Range, and thence E.S.E. along the southern 

 face of Levi Range. From Levi Range the rest of the western watershed is not 

 well known ; it pa.sses at all evt'nts through the eastern extriMiiity of the 

 Musgrave and J"]\erarcl Ranges. The exact eastern limit of the basin is practically 

 unknown. 



(/') Area of the Fiiikc River Basin. — The area of the Finke River Basin 

 cannot be less than l<0,000 scjuare miles. The basin is roughly triangular in 

 shajie, with the apex situated at Lake Eyre and the base coincident with the 

 nortliern water-parting. The northern portion of the basin is the most elevated, 

 the (_lrainage being to the south and south-east. The mean ele\ation of this 

 northern jxjrtion cannot be less than from 2500 to 3000 feet above sea le\'cl. 

 About half the way Ijetween the northern watershed and the apex of the basin the 

 mean elevation is alwut 1000 feet, while at Lake Eyre itself is is a few feet below 

 sea level. \. rough calculation of the average elevation of the basin makes it at 

 least 800 feet above sea le\el. 



(2) The Finke River. 



{a) Tril'utaries of the Finlze. — On the north side of Finke (-Mjrge, through 

 which the Finkc! flows in its southerly course, this river is formed by the junction 

 of two creeks. The eastern branch, known as Uiiniston Creek, rises on the 

 northern edge of the McDonnell Ranges, and bursts through the prominent 

 quartzite ridge between Mounts Giles and Sonder. The western branch, the 

 Davenport, which is the more important of the two, takes its rise two to three 

 miles S.E. of ^NLount Ziel, and flows for a few miles to the south, where it is 

 known as the Crawford. It tiicn suddenly turns to tiie east and is known a,s the 

 Davenport. Rcfore, liowcver, it junctions with Oi-miston Creek it is joined by 



