58 CENTRAL AUSTRALIAN 



away during the night, and were not brought up till midday. I 

 noticed large flocks of martens flying about overhead ; decided to 

 remain here the rest of the day. Bar. 28'680., ther. 62° at 5 p.m. 



Tuesday, July \§th. — Camp No. 66. Bar. 28'575in., ther. 32°, 

 cold east wind. — The camels seem to quite dislike this place. They 

 rambled away again last night and were not brought up till midday. 

 Started away at 1 p.m. upon a bearing of N. 15° E ; travelled over 

 spinifex sandhills with mulga scrub between them. Native poplars 

 were noticed on the sandhills; this class of country continued for 

 eight miles, when the sandhills fell off and we entered upon firm 

 flats with nodules of limestone with dwarf acacias and saltbush. 

 In another mile reached the south-east end of a small salt lake. 

 Here I fixed the camp for the night, there being splendid feed for 

 the camels. Travelled ten miles. Bar. 28 - 700in., ther. 56' at 5 p.m. 



Wednesday, July llth. — Camp No. 67; S. latitude 25° 5' 40". 

 Bar. 28-750, ther. 26°. — We had but a slender supply of firewood 

 last night. At dawn the boxes, bedding, pillows, &c, were white 

 with frost. At present the bed of this lake is covered with salt 

 water, and, sparkling in the bright sunshine, looks quite attrac- 

 tive. Started away at 8 - 50. Rounded the lake in two miles upon 

 a bearing of N. 40° E. Then turned N. 14° E., which taking us 

 away from the little lake soon brought us into spinifex sandhills. 

 Kept on this bearing for two miles, and then turned N. 8° E. 

 tow r ards a gap in the range I was steering for. Soon after starting 

 on this bearing struck the south-west arm of a salt channel about 

 half a mile wide and five miles long. Two miles further on struck 

 the south end of another salt lake which had water in it. Travelled 

 upon the east shore for three miles. Here the travelling was flat 

 and free from spinifex, and was a great relief to the camels. Upon 

 reaching the north end I expected that we should enter into spinifex 

 sandhills again, but was agreeably surprised to find a country 

 covered with dwarf acacias and leguminosse. The surface was 

 strewn with nodules of limestone, and for the first time upon the 

 journey a bluebush w r as seen. I noticed also a dwarf pittosporum 

 that I had seen on the south shore of Lake Amadeus. The country 

 continued of this description for four miles. We then entered in 

 a level country with mulga scrubs and the usual coarse tussock 

 grass. This, however, was now quite green. Perhaps to celebrate 

 our advent this very dreary-looking country was attired in its best, 

 but I think these dense mulga scrubs are particularly dreary and 

 monotonous travelling, more especially so when the unknown 

 feature for which you are steering loses that attractive appearance 

 that it had a few miles further back, and as each succeeding mile 

 brings you closer it becomes more certain that you will meet with 

 disappointment and accumulating difficulties. At thirteen miles 

 from our last camp I turned N. 45° E. to examine a place where I 

 thought I observed a difference in the timber, and in two miles 

 approached a stony water channel in which were growing a few 



