36 .CENTRAL AUSTRALIAN 



N. 64° W., in about eight miles I reached a low stony lise, at the 

 foot of which a broad sandy flat appeared, upon which I noticed 

 a number of white gum trees growing. From the top of tnis rise 

 I obtained an extensive view to the west and north-west. I 

 noticed a line of hills just on the eastern extremity of the Gordon 

 Range, which is about eight miles off. These hills were distant 

 about eighteen miles, their most southerly end being marked by 

 two distinct hills close together and higher than the rest. I have 

 named these the Dovers Hills, after my cousin, W. Dovers, Esq., 

 of Bombala, New South Wales. Upon a bearing of N. 45°W. T 

 distant about twenty-eight miles, I noticed another range, which 

 I named after the Hon. J. H. Angas, M.L.C., one of the directors 

 of the association. Upon a bearing of S. 82° W., I noticed a line 

 of hills running north and south, the highest point being at their 

 northern end. I have decided to go no farther in that direction, 

 so prepare to turn upon a bearing that will take me to the south- 

 western shore of the lake. This line of hills, the most westerly 

 feature seen, I named the Baron Hills, after the Baron Sir Ferd. 

 von Mueller, K.C.M.G., F.R.S., President of the Victorian Branch 

 of the Royal Geographical Society, whose name is justly entitled 

 to stand forth conspicuously at the limit of my most western 

 travels ; as the baron has been for 20 years the most steadfast 

 and energetic promoter of Central Western Australian exploration. 

 I much regret that one of his most ardent wishes, a travelling- 

 stock route from Central Australia to the North- West Coast, has, 

 in this journey, received another check; nothing would have been 

 more gratifying E to me than to have been in a position to have 

 given proof of this being practicable. At 11*45 I turned upon 

 a bearing of S. 60° W. There is a large area of burnt ground here, 

 leading me to infer that a good water will be found in either in 

 the Gordon hills or else at the lake close by. I continued upon 

 this bearing for about three miles, and then turned south, for it is 

 now evident that the extreme western end of this salt depression 

 has been reached; we were occasionally turned off our course half 

 a mile by salt reaches. At 4'30 arrived at one, near which there 

 was a large cane-grass clay pan, which will last a month or more of 

 such weather as we now experience. Here there was a profusion 

 of splendid feed for the camels, and as one of them is ailing I 

 shall stay here to-morrow. From some remark of Billy's, I think 

 . he must have seen a spring in the early part of the day, and to- 

 morrow I propose to return and examine the spot. Oaks and 

 melaleuca were the only trees seen. Three ducks and eight cranes 

 were seen on the clay pan, these flew away towards the south- 

 west, but afterwards returned and hovered about the clay pan. 

 Bar. 28 - 560in., ther. 62° at 5 p.m. The night set in dark and 

 threatening, so had everything packed and under cover in case of 

 a downpour. 



Wednesday, June bth. — Camp No. 39, at Cane Grass Claypan. 



