126 E. F. PITTMAN. 



lot of flaky granite came up in the flow, very thin, mostly oval, 

 and about as big as a three-penny piece. A lot of these drillings 

 were saved at the time and were left on the Station when I left 

 there. I think there is no doubt this was a crack or fault, but 

 how wide or deep, or in what direction trending, I could not tell 

 you. I am certain the top rock was granite, as I believe some of 

 the drillings were submitted to yourself at the time, and you pro- 

 nounced them 'bed-rock.' " 



There does not appear to be very much evidence here 

 upon which to base an assertion that the water is of plutonic 

 origin. It is clear that the main water-bearing sandstone 

 beds must be in proximity to the bottom of the bore, for 

 some sandstone was penetrated and a small flow obtained 

 from it. It seems highly probable therefore that the crack 

 or fissure in the granite is in direct communication with a 

 lower stratum of the porous beds, and that the water was 

 really derived from the latter. 



Outlet for Artesian Basin.— In connection with the 

 supposed existence of an outlet for the subterranean waters 

 at the Gulf of Carpentaria, Professor Gregory gives a 

 section of the artesian basin from the gulf to Charleville, 

 and he shows, as a marked feature of this section, a rock 

 barrier or submerged range of granite in the vicinity of 

 Manfred Downs. In speaking with reference to this he says 1 



"The section on page 306 shows that an outlet to the Gulf of 

 Carpentaria is of no use to the deep basin beneath the Lake Eyre 

 country, for its waters are far below the level of the outlet into 

 that Gulf. Hence so far as concerns the flowing wells of the 

 south-western part of the central artesian basin, the water must 

 be stagnant." 



It is difficult to understand why the Professor arrives at 

 this conclusion. The water must circulate through the 

 lowest parts of the basin, so long as it has sufficient head. 



x Ibid., p. 299. 



