52 CENTRAL AUSTRALIAN 



trees before alluded to appear healthy, but are not of such sort to 

 be of much service for ordinary bush purposes. Bar. 28 - 455in., 

 ther. 68° at 5 p.m. 



Saturday, June 22th. — Camp No. 58. Bar. 28*575in., ther. 48°, 

 cloudy, calm. — One of the camels (Darby) was brought up looking 

 very bad, and my riding camel (Tooroo) looks anything but bright. 

 It seems only too likely that they have eaten some poisonous herb. 

 Darby has always been in trouble ever since we left the Peake, 

 and though he is the largest camel of the lot he is by no means 

 the strongest. Lately he has carried only about 150lbs. weight, 

 and for the last two days he carried two empty casks. This day 

 I am sure will be a severe one, but as there is neither food nor 

 water for them here I must move them on with the hope that 

 they may reach Mount Olga, where I have promised them a full 

 week's rest. While they were being saddled up I took a walk 

 down to the lake and ventured upon its surface. I should have 

 said that water is only to be seen in a few places, even after the 

 heavy rains of this winter. Its surface is white with a thin coating 

 of salt, and I was surprised to find that for fully half a mile it was- 

 quite firm to walk upon, and I think, had it been desirable, that I 

 could have walked to the opposite shore, not more than two miles 

 distant. I found upon removing a few inches of yellow sand from 

 the surface that I came upon fragments of gyrjsum. I imagine 

 that salt springs would be found upon many parts of its surface, 

 which alone account for any water that is occasionally seen upon 

 it. Started away at 8 - 35 on a bearing of S. 10° E. for Mount Olga. 

 My camel was so bad that I had to take a place in the rear of the 

 caravan, so that having a track beaten down it would be easier for 

 him. Billy now rode on ahead. He does not keep well on any 

 course, but for the present I must let him go his own way. 

 Travelled over high spinifex sandhills for five miles, when we 

 were turned off our course by a salt pan of about a mile in length. 

 The sandhills now were less severe, and the whitegum timber disap- 

 peared, its place being taken by occasional clumps of mulga and a 

 few few oaks. Camped at 5 p.m. in open spinifex sandhills with 

 but scanty feed for the camels. They were let go to make the best 

 of it for two or three hours, but Darby returned to camp of his own 

 accord and lay down, and my camel Tooroo laid down without at- 

 tempting to go and feed. At 8 o'clock Fred and Billy collected 

 all the others, and they were tied up for the night. Mount Olga 

 from here presents a most wonderful appearance. Bar. 28"500in., 

 ther. 58° at 5 p.m. 



Sunday, June 30^ — Camp No. 59. Bar. 28-575in., ther. 30°. — 

 Let the camels go a little before daybreak. It was a bitterly cold 

 night. From this camp a range that I take to be the McNicholl's 

 Itange of Giles bears S. 41° W., distant about six miles. At its 

 < astern extremity is a large dome-shaped mass of bare red rock of 

 most singular appearance. It is evidently a hill similar to Mount 



