26 CENTRAL AUSTRALIAN" 



shrubs and herbage, such as they like, but there is not a blade of 

 grass anywhere around. Black's fires were observed to the south- 

 ward ; these were so close that I thought they would have called 

 upon us, but they kept away. Bar. 28-300in., ther. 65° at 5 p.m. 



Tuesday, May2\st. — Camp No. 32. Bar. 28-300in., ther. 50°. — 

 Light south-east wind. The camels rambled away during the night, 

 and we did not leave here till II* 15. Travelled upon our tracks to 

 Camp No. 30, and then started upon a bearing of N. 28° W. 

 towards some low hills, where I hoped to form a depot ; the coun- 

 try travelled over was of a firm sandy nature, with sandhills 

 running N. and S., about a quarter of a mile apart, all thickly 

 clothed with spinifex, occasional oaks, and a few white gum trees 

 were met with, but for the most part it was destitute of timber. 

 The tall bleached stalks of the spinifex waving in the wind, the 

 unbroken silence, and absence of animal life, all contribute to make 

 up a wild weird picture of desolation. Travelled fifteen miles. 

 Bar. '*8-500in., ther. 66° at 5 p.m. 



Wednesday, May 22nd. — Camp No. 33. Bar. 28 - 525in., ther. 

 38°. — Started at 10 past 8 upon a bearing of N. 25° W From this 

 camp Mount Rennie bears N. 13° E., distant about six miles; it 

 has a bare appearance, without any gullies or ravines down which 

 water would fall or accumulate. The first four miles the sandhills 

 were steeper and closer together ; these fell away, and the country 

 opened out into extensive fields of spinifex, not a particle of any 

 other vegetation ; then again occasional forests of Casuarina were 

 met with, but spinifex was everywhere ; at 11, turned N. 26° W. 

 for an appearent break or fault, in the rock formation. Still travel- 

 ling over fields of spinifex ; these continued up to the foot of the 

 hills, which were reached at noon : here was a tiny rivulet, but not 

 a particle of feed of any kind for the camels. I now directed the 

 caravan along the foot of the hdls for three miles in a north-west- 

 erly direction when we entered into a broad open valley, in which 

 was found a strong stream of water running to the southward ; 

 there was good feed for the camels, and while they were unloaded 

 I rode to the head of the valley to reconnoitre. In the middle 

 of this valley there is a singular mass of rock, around the base of 

 which is now running a stream of beautiful water ; reaching the 

 head of the valley, 1 obtained an extensive view to the north of 

 spinifex sandhill country, with a few low hills in the distance ; to 

 the N. W. I obtained a good view of the high range that was first 

 sighted at the sandstone rocks and native well ; from here it seems 

 to be the eastern end of a very high range that extends to the 

 westward. I am very sanguine of valuable and important discoveries 

 being made there, and my hopes are raised by visions of better 

 grassed and more hospitable country than that I have just passed 

 over. It is possible that a watercourse from that range may flow 

 into Lake Amadeus, a problem which I hope to solve in a few days 

 time. The beautiful valley in which this camp is situated I named 



