EXPLORING EXPEDITION. 9 



fragments of white quartz were loose upon the surface, and a few 

 quartz crystals were found. After an hour of severe climbing, the 

 summit was reached ; the view was not so extensive as would be 

 supposed ; Razorback is certainly a misnomer, for there is a large 

 area of flat country upon the summit. A high range, that I am 

 told is Mount Zeil (of Giles), bears 235° 30', distant about 4 miles; 

 it is several hundred feet higher than Mount Razorback. Mount 

 Sonder bears 111° 30', distant about 8 or 9 miles. By aneroid 

 measurement Mount Razorback is 1,831ft. above Glen Helen 

 station. While I was recording these observations, Billy was hard 

 at work building a small cairn to commemorate our visit. We 

 then commenced the descent, which was almost as puzzling to 

 me as the ascent. I was extremely glad to reach the bottom, and 

 once more to walk upon level ground Rock specimen No. 8 

 collected. 



Wednesday, April 3rd. — Glen Helen Station. Bar. 27 - 700in., 

 ther. 66°. — Cloudy and cold during the night ; light east wind this 

 morning. Preparing letter for the mail which leaves here on 

 Saturday. Repairing camel saddles. 



Thursday, April \ih. — Glen Helen. Started from the camp 

 with Fred and Billy to make the ascent of Mount Sonder, travelled 

 easterly down the creek for three miles, and than turned a little 

 northerly towards the mountain. Directly we left the alluvial 

 flats of the creek, we entered upon low stony hills covered with 

 mulga scrub ; as we neared the range, these became very dense, 

 until we arrived at its base, where there was a large gum creek 

 that appeared to take its rise at the western end of Mount Sonder, 

 which is called the Redbank Creek. This certainly is a most beauti- 

 ful and picturesque spot ; the creek really is one of the sources of 

 the Finke, and is fringed on both banks with large and splendidly- 

 grown gums : it winds round the base of Mount Sonder, and flows 

 southerly for four miles, when it joins the Davenport creek. 

 Leaving Fred in charge of the camels, Billy and I made the ascent 

 of the mountain ; it was a moderately cool day, but it took us three 

 hours climbing to reach its summit. Mount Sonder appears to 

 have three separate peaks, the most easterly one looks to be almost 

 inaccessible ; upon the most southerly one of the three I built a 

 small cairn of stones, and took the following bearings: — Mount 

 Razorback bears 292° 30', Mount Zeil 314°; the most westerly 

 high point of a range, which is locally called Haast's Bluff, bears 

 286° 30'. By aneroid measurement this point is 2,495ft. above 

 Glen Helen station. The return journey was made in much better 

 time, but we got a very severe shaking, so rough indeed that the 

 jolting broke the minute hand of my watch ; it was after dark 

 before we reached Glen Helen station. Saw a couple of emus to 

 day. 



Friday, April 5th.— Bar. 27'7l5in., ther. 68°. — Was too much 

 done up to-day to do anything but camp duties. Worked out 



