24 CENTRAL AUSTRALIAN 



them I could see what appeared to be a grass valley running parallel 

 with the hills. The little isolated hill that I saw from Watson's 

 Hange is three or four miles S. 40° W. of Gill's Creek, and from 

 this point is very plainly visible. At five miles we reached a 

 sandstone ridge running north and south, and an extensive view of 

 the country to the W. round to W.S.W. was obtained, and 

 appeared most unpromising — apparently nothing but a sandy waste, 

 by no means where good quarters or easy times might be expected. 

 Travelled over oak and spinifex sandhills till 5 "30, and then 

 camped, surrounded by poison-bush on all sides. Watched the 

 camels the whole time they were loose, and tied them up for the 

 night. Travelled twenty miles. Bar. 28 - 290in., ther. 78° at 5 p.m. 



Fridoy, May 17^A.-Camp No. 29. Bar. 28-310in., ther. 41°. 

 Calm, fine, heavy dew. — Started at 8-40 N. 86° W., glad to get 

 away from this poison-infected spot. At five miles the Cleland 

 Hills were still to be seen to the northward : at six miles a low 

 sandstone formation was seen to the southward ; at ten miles the 

 sandhills were not quite so formidable. We here entered a flat 

 piece of country, about two miles across ; a few claypans and good 

 grass. A surface covered with gypsous earth and spinifex then set 

 in, which made the travelling very heavy. Having crossed this we 

 were again in spinifex sandhills. For three or four miles these had 

 been swept by fire, and were perfectly bare. I camped in these 

 burnt sandhills, being so far fortunate to find a small patch with 

 feed on it that had escaped the fire ; but the area was so small 

 that the camels were brought up at 8 p.m., and tied up for the 

 night. Travelled twenty-four miles. No animals or birds were seen 

 to-day. 



Saturday, May \8th. — Camp No. 30. Bar. 28-125in., ther. 60°. 

 — From a high sandhill near this camp took circumferenter read- 

 ings to a low bluff at the west extremity of the Cleland Hills, 57°. 

 A range running in a N.W. direction, with isolated hills at their 

 S.E. extremity, bears 8°, distant about twenty-five miles. In the 

 centre of this range is a high point, at least l,0<)0ft., which I 

 have named " Mount Lyell Brown." after the Government 

 Geologist, and the range I have called after Mr. A. T. Magarey, 

 the hon. secretary to the South Australian branch of the Royal 

 Geographical Society. A high range, distant about forty miles, I 

 have named "Mount Bennie," after Professor Bennie, of the Ade- 

 laide University, bears 320°. Started at 8*15 on a bearing of 

 N. 83° W. At nine miles we came upon a limestone formation, 

 upon which there was a little saltbush. The hungry camels 

 snatched greedily at these choice morsels as they passed along. 

 Had there been any extent of it I should have turned them out, 

 but we were soon in dense mulga and spinifex again. It will be 

 seen that the camels have been tied up every night since we left 

 Gill's Creek. Whatever their capabilities may be of going without 

 water, it is quite certain they cannot do without food, and I hope 



