EXPLORING EXPEDITION. 59 



very stunted gumtrees. I followed this up towards the range for 

 a mile, and then came to some small pools of very beautifully 

 clear water. The range for which I had been steering was about 

 two miles ahead of us, and did not look by any means inviting, 

 stony and fringed with a belt of dense mulga scrub. 1 could not 

 see any place where water would be likely to accumulate. Of 

 course the water where our camp is situated is only from recent 

 rains, and will not last much more than a week. Bar. 28*550in., 

 ther. 56° at 4 p.m. 



Thursday, July l%th. — Camp No. 68 ; S. lat. 25° 5' 40". Bar. 

 28-525in., ther. 32°. — A central point of Mount Connor bears 200° 

 35' from this camp, but as it presents only an extensive flat surface 

 I should say that is the bearing of its centre. Started at 8 - 30 on a 

 bearing of N. 40° W. towards the western end of the range, thence 

 west for two miles ; I was now at the western extremity of the 

 range, having travelled over stony slopes and through dense mulga 

 since leaving camp. I now turned northerly for two miles over 

 the same class of country. Before turning easterly I ascended a 

 slope of the range and observed low hills to the west, about four 

 miles distant south-westerly, and, separated from these by a small 

 gap, is another line of hills; to the northward were spinifex sand- 

 hills. I now turned upon a bearing of S* 84° E. to traverse the 

 northern slopes of the range ; travelled through dense mulga scrub 

 for four miles and then turned S. 76° E., in five miles upon this 

 bearing reached the eastern end of the range. No watercourse 

 wall be found to run from either the north or south slopes of this 

 range ; it does not appear to be much frequented by the blacks, 

 nor do I think any water exists there. Directly I left the range the 

 country improved, and at sundown I turned the camels out upon a 

 grassy mulga flat where was the most luxuriant herbage for them. 

 Travelled eighteen miles, being much delayed owing to the difficult 

 nature of the ground I have named this the " Kernot Eange," 

 after Professor Kernot, of the Melbourne University, and the 

 highest point at its western extremity, Mount Thompson, after the 

 Hon. H. M. Thompson, of Victoria. Bar. 28-550in., ther. 57° at 5 

 p.m. 



Friday, July I9(h.— Camp No. 69. S. Lat. 25° 5' 40". Bar. 

 28 - 455in., ther. 32° — Started on a bearing of 96°, passed over flat 

 firm mulga country, occasionally coming to little hollows where 

 the new growth of herbage was very luxuriant ; in three miles 

 turned our bearing of 92°, at this point two low isolated hills bore 

 north, distant about three miles ; here we came across a claypan 

 with water in it, the blacks have placed boughs round one end of 

 it to entrap emus. I noticed splendid cotton bush growing at this 

 spot, the first seen since leaving the settlements. I found this ridge 

 to be composed entirely of sandstone laying horizontally ; after 

 three miles of very rough stony hill travelling, and were again upon 

 a flat well-grassed country. At fifteen miles from the last camp 



