EXPLORING EXPEDITION. 47 



the intervening country being oak and spinifex sandhills, all 

 showing evidence of having been recently burnt. This part of the 

 range on the south side appears very precipitous without any sign 

 of a creek from any point. 1 find by aneroid measurement that 

 Mount Harris is 1,422ft. above the level of the plain. Descending 

 from the hill we reached the camels at l - 20, having been occupied 

 three hours. Having partaken of a light lunch, for which the 

 climb gave us a very keen appetite, I stood away easterly for one 

 and a half miles to get off the stones, and then turned S. 64° E. for 

 three miles and then turned east to follow the foot of the range, 

 hoping at every mile to meet with a watercourse. Kept on this 

 bearing for four miles, travelling over level spinifex sandy country 

 with occasional oaks. Arrived at the end of the range, where 

 there was a small patch of bushes and feed for the camels and in a 

 beautiful clump of oak timber, called a halt for the night. The 

 outline of Mount Harris from this point is one of imposing 

 grandeur, but my experience has now taught me that it is not to 

 such features as these that the traveller in these regions must 

 trust for assistance, far more reliable are the small rocks met with in 

 the heavy sandhill country ; these may be difficult to find, and are 

 often found quite by accident, but I think at most of them the 

 temporary requirements of a light party will be found in the small 

 rock reservoirs and native wells, which seem to be the only form of 

 water supply in this country. Bar. "iS^OOin., ther. 62° at 5 p.m. 



Thursday, June 20th. — Camp No. 51, Pine Rocks. Bar. 

 28-325in., ther. 36°. Cold, S.E. wind.— Started on a bearing of 

 N. 45° E. towards a low stony range, travelled over spinifex sand- 

 hills for three miles and then followed along the foot of the range 

 upon a bearing of S. 80° E. for five miles. I was not in a 

 position to start from here to Lake Amadeus for I thought it pro- 

 bable that some difficult country would have to be travelled over ; 

 the camels having had but very little feed and no water since leav- 

 ing the rocks are not in good trim for such an undertaking. The 

 little sandstone rocks were not many miles away and plainly visible, 

 so I decided to give them a day there before starting for the lake, 

 turned upon a bearing of N. 20° W. and in six miles reached the 

 rock, forming a camp on the north side close to the reservoir. 

 Bar. 28-550in., ther. 75° at 5 p.m 



Friday, June 2lsL— Camps Nos. 48 and 51. Bar. 28"625in., 

 ther. 36°. Fine cold east wind. — Took two photographic views of 

 the north side of the rock. The reservoir is not to be seen in it. 

 It lays about half way up the slope, and a little westerly of a white 

 gum-tree marked 6 ^ 9 The camels walked nearly up to the water, 

 and it was carried down to them in buckets. Had they been 

 really thirsty, this would have been a very tedious undertaking. 

 It is most lovely weather, and this is a very pleasant camping place, 

 the camels so well contented that they are never out of sight of 

 the camp. From the reservoir this morning I noticed a range 



