EXPLORING EXPEDITION. 25 



to find something for them to-morrow. Camped at 4*40, upon 

 what looked to be a good place for them ; there was but very little 

 for them after all, and at dusk they were again brought up for 

 the night. Bar. 28200in., ther. 76° at 5 p.m. Neither birds nor 

 animals seen to-day. Travelled twenty-six miles. 



Sunday, May 19th.— Camp No. 31 ; S. latitude 23° 52' 36". Bar. 

 28-1 HOin., ther. 64°. Cloudy, dull, close. — The appearance of the 

 camels this morning was pitiable, and it was evident that food 

 must be got for them to-day. Mount Rennie, bearing N. 4° W., 

 distant about fifteen miles, looked too abrupt to expect to find 

 water at. Hills to the N.N.W. looked doubtful. Upon a bearing 

 of S. 28° E. a cluster of bare red rocks were observed, and to these 

 I directed the caravan, as being the most certain place of finding 

 what I require. These appeared some eight or nine miles away. 

 One of them presented a good slope of bare red rock, and after the 

 late heavy rains I made sure that I should get feed and water for 

 the suffering animals. After travelling over niulga flats, with 

 grass and spinifex aud dwarf mallee for nine miles, we arrived 

 there, spinifex and oaks growing right up to them. They appear 

 to be being fast covered up with sand ; but no water was to be 

 seen. Billy seemed to think there was some ; so, giving him a 

 camel, he started off to search, while I went on the rock to take 

 some bearings. Billy soon returned, telling us that he had found 

 a native well. Upon going to see it I found a small hole about 

 3ft. deep, with spinifex growing all round it. There was not the 

 slightest clue to guide anyone to it ; but the native's unerring 

 instinct or wonderful keen sight directed him straight to it. It 

 was evident a quantity of work would have to be done before any 

 camels could be watered at it ; but we set to work and opened it 

 out, boxed it up with wood and stones, and by nightfall three of the 

 worst looking camels had been watered. From the tops of these 

 rocks I took particular notice of a noble-looking bluff, that must 

 be over sixty miles distant. It bears N. 54° W. It has a most 

 inviting appearance, and I hope to find in its neighborhood a change 

 from the monotonous sandhill country that I have been in since 

 leaving the MacDonnell Ranges. Bar. 28-20(dn., -ther. 86° at 5 

 p.m. 



Monday, May 20th. — Camp 31, native well at Sandstone Rocks; 

 S, latitude 23°, 52'. 36". Bar. 28 320in., ther. 56°.— Cold south-east 

 wind. The well filled up to sixteen buckets during the night ; 

 these w r ere baled out into the tarpaulin, and more slowly drained in. 

 From the top of the rocks near the camp I observed a long high 

 range bearing S. 19° W., distant about sixty miles. Mount Rennie 

 bears N. 10° W. ; it is a flat-topped hill, about 1,000ft. above the 

 plain, and has a low isolated hill quite close to its N.W. extremity, 

 while a series of low ridges la)' to the eastward of it. The little 

 well made sufficient water to satisfy all the camels by taking them 

 up three at a time ; the sandhills hereabouts are covered with 



