EXPLORING EXPEDITION. 41 



daybreak blankets and everything about the camp were saturated ; 

 saddled up and started at 8 - 30 a.m. From the top of a sandhill at 

 the camp 1 had obtained a good view of the hills to the eastward, 

 and could not form a very favorable opinion of them, and as they 

 were considerably out of the course I wished to take I decided to 

 leave them unvisited. Some low hills lay to the south, and towards 

 them I directed the caravan upon a bearing of S. 5° E. The rain 

 cleared off soon after we started, but it continued cloudy all day. 

 Passed over open spinifex plains dotted with a few oaks and dwarf 

 acacias. In three miles heavy sandhills running east and west set 

 in, which puzzled some of the camels and retarded our progress. 

 In six miles from the last camp reached the west extremity of a 

 low sandstone ridge, where Billy found a small cleft in the rock, 

 and full of water. Here we replenished the kegs, which was all I 

 required, the hole was 5ft. deep and about 2ft. wide. Several 

 native camps were seen here, and the water must last these people 

 for a considerable time. In a cave close by were the idle or playful 

 drawings on a stone wall representing and signifying nothing in 

 particular. The vertebra? of a few snakes were lying near the 

 black cinders of a fire, showing upon what the people at times look 

 for sustenance. Turning a little to the eastward to get through the 

 hills we resumed our journey, and in two miles noticed the fresh 

 tracks of three natives going to the westward, and soon after 

 noticed a wurlie made to shelter two men from the rains that pro- 

 bably fell when we were at Mount Leisler. At this point I 

 obtained a very distant view to the south and south-west, which 

 presented nothing whatever but high spinifex sandhills with an 

 occasional knoll of sandstone. Directing the caravan to one of 

 these which lay S. 15° E., and where I hoped we should obtain a 

 little feed for the camels for the night, we continued over very 

 heavy sandhills. In about thirteen miles I turned S. 40° E. to 

 a more inviting looking ridge, which we reached in about sixteen 

 miles. This was a most dreary and inhospitable spot, huge sandhills 

 in confused and irregular masses tumbling right up to the foot of 

 the cliff which must soon be buried by them. Ascending the cliff 

 with Billy he pointed out to me a particular burnt patch, it was 

 not the only one by any means, there were dozens, but Billy seemed 

 convinced that water was there, and as it lay south I directed the 

 caravan thither ; in about nineteen miles we reached a mulga 

 hollow at the foot of, and on the west side of sandstone knolls. 

 Numbers of native wurlies were soon discovered, and a grassy 

 glade dotted over with mulgas. Little stone runnels, now dry, 

 intersected this pretty little piece of woodland. Billy soon found 

 a native well, and after that a rock waterhole. From the number 

 of wurlies and encampments, this is evidently a place of frequent 

 resort by the natives, none were here now, and at 4*40 p.m. we 

 turned the camels out upon pasture they love best. I find the well 

 is similar to the one found at Camp 31, and about five feet deep to 



