EXPLOKING EXPEDITION. 53 



Olga, and would well repay a visit. The scrubs look to be very 

 thick around its base, but with two sick camels I think it best to 

 push on to where I know there is good quarters where they may 

 recruit. The dome-shaped rock at the end of McNicholl's Range 

 I have named Mount Currie, after John Lang Currie, Esq., of Vic- 

 toria. Started away at 8*20 upon a bearing of S. 17° E., Mount 

 Olga being now in full view. Seen for the first time from any point 

 this mountain must always strike the traveller as being a strange 

 and wonderful object, and our wonder and amazement increases as 

 it is approached. Travelled over spinifex sandhills for eleven 

 miles, and then reached stony ground with mulga scrub and occa- 

 sional patches of grass. Continued on until 4 , 3<>, the last few miles 

 being over mulga flats splendidly grassed. This camp is situated 

 two miles north of the Mount. The stony nature of the ground 

 on ahead prompted me not to tax my weak camels too much, and 

 there being very luxuriant feed for them here I camped, having 

 travelled twenty-one miles. I took some views with the camera 

 from this point, but the distance is too great for my small appa- 

 ratus. The sick camels went away feeding directly they were let 

 loose, but they evidently require some nursing. Bar. 28 - 300in., 

 ther. 56° at 5 p m. 



Monday, July 1st.— Camp No. 60, Mount Olga. Bar. 28"325in., 

 ther. 36°. Fine, clear, cold east wind. — Started at 8*50, and at one 

 and a half miles was at the foot of this stupendous mass of bare 

 rock, proceeding round its west extremity I passed a beautifully 

 grassed flat, timbered with blood wood and mulga. There was a 

 stream of clear water running southwards for nearly a mile from 

 the range ; passed this, and in another mile reached Mr. Giles's 

 camp under the abrupt Avail of the mountain. Here was another 

 beautiful stream of water, but as it was not so favorable a camping 

 place as the first stream we crossed I returned, and the camels 

 were soon let go upon the most luxuriant pasture ; they did not 

 move much during the day, and when tired of feeding they rolled 

 about on it, and toward evening strolled off down the flat. Bar. 

 28-150in., ther. 54° at 5 p.m. 



Tuesday, July 2nd. — Camp No. 60, Mount Olga. Bar. 28"310in., 

 ther. 40°. — A very strong southerly wind sprang up during the 

 night, and the morning was piercingly cold. Upon collecting the 

 camels this morning the two invalids were missing. Billy went 

 after them, and in about an hour he returned. They were most 

 wretched looking objects. I cannot attribute their indisposition to 

 any cause but poison, for the other camels are all extremely well, 

 but the symptoms are different to those which were poisoned near 

 Glen Edith. There is now a heaving of the flank and a difficulty of 

 breathing, and each inspiration is followed by a wheezing noise, a 

 very slight discharge from the nose, and they resolutely refuse 

 the daintiest morsels of food offered them. My camel Tooroo 

 seems the least affected of the two. Employed during the day 



