54 CENTRAL AUSTRALIAN 



either side of this range, and the whole surface appeared to be 

 covered with water. The range of hills upon its south shore, and 

 which are distinctly seen from the Kintore range, 1 have named 

 after Mr. J L. Bonython, a member of the Council of the South 

 Australian Branch of the Royal Geographical Society. As I gazed 

 on this apparently extensive lake, I could not but contemplate the 

 fact that our party were the first and only Europeans whose eyes 

 had ever beheld its silent shores. Was this Lake Amadeus ? If 

 not, to where does it extend ? The mirage of the wilderness is 

 apt to deceive the traveller, and although I have doubts of 

 the eastern boundary as it now appears, I feel certain that this 

 forms no part of Lake Amadeus. From Camp 30 (the native well 

 at Sandstone Hills) I looked repeatedly in a south-west direction 

 without being able to detect the peculiar appearance the horizon 

 has when a salt expanse intervenes, and which may be best 

 described as a "blink" (to adopt an Arctic explorer's word) and 

 this would have been more particularly noticeable having a high 

 range on the horizon in that direction. The view of the lake, 

 though somewhat dreary and lifeless, formed nevertheless a pretty 

 landscape, or would be so to one who knew not that the water was 

 brine, and that it was a country abandoned by man and beast. I 

 was very glad indeed to notice several claypans full of water, and 

 where we struck the lake there was good saltbush, samphire, and 

 other salsolae. Following westerly round its shores, and trying to 

 make a short cut, we got into the mud, and the floundering out was 

 a long process. It is by far the best way, when traversing such a 

 lake, to go round everything, no matter how far it looks. Spinifex 

 and dense oaks grow to the very edge of the lake. No track or 

 sign of any animal life. The lake seems a mass of channels, 

 islands, and peninsulas. Travelled till 4 "45, and camped in a small 

 patch of saltbush ; the camels were let out for the night. Travelled 

 twenty-one miles on all courses, which, after striking the lake, were 

 N. 70° W., one mile ; S. 60° W., two miles ; N. 20° E., two miles ; 

 N. 80° W., three miles ; S. 30° W., one mile ; N. 80° W., two 

 miles. Bar. 28-575in., ther. 56° at 5 p.m. 



Sunday, June 2nd.— Camp No. 37. Bar. 28*580in., ther. 40°; S. 

 latitude 23° 22' 14"; E. long. 128° 27'— This was a bright and lovely 

 morning, the bristling spinifex was glistening in the bright sunshine 

 with heavy dew drops, the strange silence of the solitude of the 

 desert is unbroken, not a note of a bird or even a sound to indicate 

 that any living thing exists here, nor any sign or trace to show 

 that animal life has ever visited this spot. The lake at this point 

 is an enormous expanse of brown mud, save here and there some 

 sheets of water towards the centre. As there was very good salt- 

 bush feed here I decided to remain. Owing to the wet weather 

 the camels' saddles require constant altering, and many of their 

 backs are now in a dreadful state. My position is now in the 

 province of Western Australia; my immediate movements will be 



