411 



or two old men of the Arunta tribe with many scars upon 

 their nude bodies. 



From here we followed the main river, passing its junc- 

 tion with the River Hugh, and then struck out towards 

 Chambers Pillar, a strange natural monument. The sur- 

 rounding country is covered with great billows of sand 

 running from the north-east to south-west, and their sloping 

 sides to the south had a fair sprinkling of bush upon them, 

 but their steep northerly sides presented a drifting, yellowish- 

 red sand. It was here we first saw that fine tree, the desert 

 oak (Casuarina Decaisneana), which befriended us so often 

 while in this sandhill country, affording a most welcome 

 shade. We now cut back on to the river again, and stayed 

 one night at Henbury station. We followed the sandy course 

 of the Finke as well as we could, cutting off a bend here and 

 there in its course. All this time collecting was going on. 

 steadily. The botanical pads were getting larger, bird skins 

 were being added each day, and the insect collection was 

 increasing, reptiles and other things were finding their way 

 to the spirit-tanks. On reaching Running Waters (which, 

 by the way, was at that time a stagnant pool) we made a halt 

 for a while, and some very useful material was collected. For 

 the first time on the expedition the Golden-backed Honey- 

 eater (Melithreptus gularis Iceteor) was met with. The Grey- 

 headed Honey-eater ( Lichenostomus kertlandi), discovered by 

 the Horn Expedition, was also noted here, as well as many 

 other more common species. There was also a marked change 

 in the flora, and for the first time we saw the fig (Ficus 

 plat 1/ pod a ) and the pine (Gallitris verrucosa). Leaving this 

 far-famed "Running Water," which seldom runs, we entered 

 a deep gorge, and were shut in on both sides by towering 

 rocks. Next day we came to a fine waterhole, on which were 

 many water-fowl, including pelicans. 



Just before camping we met with the first palm-tree 

 (Livistona JIarice). This beautiful palm is peculiar to a few 

 miles in this deep Finke gorge. Ernest Giles, who discovered 

 this tree and surrounding country, mentions in his Journal 

 under date August 31, 1872, that he met with the first 

 example of this new palm, which was 60 ft. high. It was 

 just about the same locality where we met with a young tree 

 only a few feet high. On the following day we branched off 

 up Ellery Creek. This route was taken because the Finke 

 was very serpentine in its course, and the rocky bed was very 

 rough for the camels. Our northerly route now took us over 

 a mass of deep soft sand, which was shut in by the high 

 rugged masses of rock called Todd Glen. Not long after we 

 had entered the glen the rare bird, Micrartamits minor, came 



