50 CENTRAL AUSTRALIAN 



Tuesday, June 25th. — Camp No. 55 ; S. latitude 24° 35' 18", E. 

 long. 130° 31'. Bar. 28-750in., ther. 26°. Keen east wind.— Started 

 at 8-30 on a bearing of S. 60° E. After passing through a belt 

 of dense mulga scrub we entered upon a saltbush plain, with good 

 grass, now quite green. Numerous large claypans full of water 

 sparkled in the bright morning sunlight. Near the claypans the 

 ground was still soft from the rains, and in one or two places the 

 camels got bogged. In these claypans both polygonum and cane 

 grass were observed —not the tall vigorous variety met with in 

 Biverina ; but it was quite a new feature to us, accustomed for so 

 long to nothing but the odious spinifex. Continued upon this 

 bearing for eight miles, when we found ourselves at the head of an 

 arm of the lake. I now turned towards the flat-topped hill seen 

 from Long's Range. Travelled upon bearing of N. 76° E., and in 

 six and a half miles reached the hill. From the top Mount Olga 

 bears nearly south; the shore of the lake is about two miles off to 

 the southward, cotton and salt bush country intervening. The 

 lake here appears to be less than four miles across, and is seen 

 stretching away to the south-east beyond the limits of vision. Upon 

 Mr. Giles' map little hills such as these are shown; and, as he 

 speaks of a saltbush country, the conviction is forced upon me that 

 the west extremity of Long's Range is his Mount Unapproachable, 

 and this is verified by the bearing of Mount Olga and from the 

 fact that no signs of any hills or ranges are to be seen towards the 

 south-east. Having satisfied myself upon those points, I decided 

 to go no further to the eastward, but to return to the west end 

 of the lake, traverse its south shore, and from there start to Mount 

 Olga. Returned on my tracks for six miles, and camped upon an 

 arm of the lake. Bar. 28'725in., ther. 77° at 5 p.m. 



Wednesday, June 26th.— Camp No. 55 ; S. latitude 24° 35' 18", 

 variation 1° 41' E. Bar. 28-7l5in., ther. 27°. Cold, frost, clear.— 

 There being very excellent feed here for the camels, a day's rest 

 for them is desirable, and I decided to remain here for their benefit 

 and endeavered to sketch in a portion of the outline of the lake ; 

 but anything more irregular than its north shore line cannot well be 

 drawn, and nothing but an actual traverse could delineate its 

 numerous estuaries, bays, peninsulas, gulfs, and islands. Took a 

 very careful circumferentor bearing to Mount Olga from this camp, 

 and find it to be 174° 30': and I am satisfied that I am east of 

 Mount Unapproachable. It cannot be looked upon as otherwise 

 than providential that Giles was prevented from reaching the west 

 extremity of this lake; for when we reflect upon the character of 

 the country that awaited him had he done so, instead of it taking 

 him, as he anticipated, into a more fertile country, it would have 

 been into difficulties that might have ended in disaster, perhaps 

 death. At this point the oaks and spinifex come down to the edge 

 of the lake, the opposite shore being at least three miles distant. 

 Two wild dogs were observed upon the shore of the lake this 

 morning. Bar. 28'625in., ther. 60° at 5 p.m. 



