EXPLORING EXPEDITION. 37 



Bar. 28 600in., ther. 54°. — Cloudy. A few drops of rain fell last 

 night. Started with Billy to visit the position spoken of yester- 

 day, hut saw no indication of a spring. There were some very 

 fresh-looking acacias at the spot, hut no sign of water ; these trees 

 had misled Billy. From here took up a westerly bearing to see 

 if any more swamps lay in that direction ; travelled till noon over 

 heavy sandhills, with oaks and spinifex, that further travelling in 

 that direction with my objects was undesirable. The country to 

 the west appears to have formed so decidedly into spinifex sand- 

 hills, that it would be useless my entering into it unless prepared 

 for one hundred miles of such country. With feelings of regret, 

 I now turned my steps south. My duty and instructions told me 

 to go no further west, and, however much in the interests < f geo- 

 graphical science I longed to proceed in that direction, there was 

 no inducement for me to risk the attempt. Returned to the camp 

 over the same country, which has recently been burnt by the 

 natives, who appear to visit this locality while water exists in the 

 clay-pans. Although a sharp lookout was kept, no natives were 

 seen. Reached the camp at 2 p.m. Bar. 28 - 500in., ther. 64° at 

 5 p.m. 



'Thursday, June 6th. — Camp No. 40. Bar. 28-580in., ther. 48° 

 at H a. m. — Weather fine and clear. Left this camp at 8 - 30 on a 

 bearing of S. 34° W., for in my rambles yesterday I could still see 

 traces of a low-lying samphire swamp country. Travelled over 

 oak and spinifex sandhills lor four miles and then turned S. 15° E. 

 towards a line of hills that were timbered in some places with 

 pines and in others by mulga scrub ; these hills appeared to me to 

 be either being fast covered up with sand, or else were gradually 

 being laid bare of sand. I have named these after Mr. Turner, of 

 the Adelaide University. Upon this bearing gypsum earth mounds 

 were met with ; oaks, ti-trees, &c, and little mallee were the only 

 trees seen at this spot ; at three miles turned on a bearing of S. 

 60° E. towards a low stony isolated hill ; travelled over some very 

 nicely-grassed mulga flats with many claypans in which was plenty 

 of water; reached the hill in four miles, from its summit a good 

 view was obtained, the most southerly end of the Angas Hills 

 about forty miles distant, on a bearing of N. 36° W. ; the Gordon 

 range, N. 10° W., and the Baron range, 275°, about fifty miles dis- 

 tant. Continued upon the same bearing for two miles, and then 

 turned S. 76° E. ; in two miles we reached a pretty mulga flat with 

 rich grass and large claypans; there were a number of native camps 

 here the first seen since leaving Laura Vale, giving evidence of a 

 large native poptdation occasionally visiting this locality. Travelled 

 till 4-40 p.m. over mulga flats well grassed and with occasionally 

 belts of scrub ; two or three very large claypans were passed, 

 besides many smaller ones, all containing water. It was a great 

 relief to the camels being for one afternoon off the spinifex, and 

 they walked along grandly and at night were let loose upon splendid 



