60 CENTRAL AUSTRALIAN 



turned upon a bearing of 98°, this just took us clear of the east end 

 of a line of low hills also composed of white sandstone, the outer 

 surface of which is reddened by exposure and consequent decom- 

 position. At sixteen miles from last camp resumed on a bearing 

 of 96° and travelled over a country that was entirely new to us. 

 For months we have been accustomed to nothing but sandhills and 

 spinifex, here we had an open flat, firm surface, nicely timbered 

 with mulga and ironwood, and clothed with saltbush, cotton-bush, 

 and bluebush, but there was not so much grass as I should have 

 liked to have seen ; kangaroo and emu were seen occasionally, this 

 class of country appears to extend for a considerable distance to 

 the southward. A range of hills of about 800 feet elevation lay 

 about two miles to northward of our line of march and appeared to 

 extend a considerable distance to the eastward. I hoped to have 

 intersected some creeks running to the southwards from it, but 

 none were met with. At 4 p.m. I reached a low limestone knoll 

 from which I obtained an extensive view to the south and south- 

 west ; to the eastwards isolated lowhills, such as this I am now on, 

 were dotted here and there leading me to infer that in that direc- 

 tion I may soon come upon a table land country. At 4-3C, meeting 

 with an exceptionally rich patch of herbage and bush for the 

 camels, I turned out, having travelled twenty-four miles. Mount 

 Connor is rather indistinctly seen from this camp, bearing 235° 10'. 

 I have named this the "Basedow Range," after F. Basedow, Esq., 

 M.P., of Adelaide. Bar. 28'410in , ther. 58° at 5 p.m. 



Saturday. July 2Qth. — Camp No. 70; latitude 25° 6' 35". Bar. 

 28-430, ther. 39°. — The camels looked very well indeed this morn- 

 ing. Started away upon a bearing of N. 44° E. at 8 45. I adopted 

 this course that I might examine a favorable-looking part of the 

 range, and soon after leaving camp passed some black gunyahs, 

 where they had been camping in time of rain, a claypan being near 

 at hand that had supplied their requirements. Passed over a few 

 low stony hills, well clothed with grass, saltbush, and bluebush, 

 and in two and a half miles reached the foot of the Basedow Range. 

 I find it composed of a white sandstone, the surface of which had 

 become of a brown color owing to exposure. It is covered with 

 mulga scrub. From its summit the view to the northward appears 

 to be one of saltbush and cotton-bush country, flat, and timbered 

 with mulga. The horizon, however, is not a very distant one, which 

 leads me to suppose that probably a sandhill country will be met 

 with in that direction. Descending from the hill I travelled upon 

 a bearing of 94°. Passed over very splendid pasture country until 

 midday, and then turned the camels out, as I had numerous camp 

 duties to attend to. The weather was delightful and the surround- 

 ings most charming. Bar. 28'550in., ther. 61° at 5 p.m. 



Sunday, July 2 la*.— Camp No. 71. Bar. 28740in., ther. 52°. 

 — Started at 8-30 S. 60° E., towards a waterhole that Billy dis- 

 covered yesterday while out kangaroo hunting. Passed over cotton 



