126 
Clarke, — Natural Uegions in Wcfitcrn Aiistralia. 
partieularly in times of drought. North of the Wooramel Kiver (lat. 
26°) the country, though still excellent pastorally, is more sparsely 
shrubbed. 
It is generally thought that this Eegion will remain a lightly 
settled pastoral area, although a map (1921) and pamphlet (1924, 
[}. 25) issued by the Department of the North-West, suggest the 
])ossilnlity of the develo])inent in its coastal portion of tropical agri- 
culture by means of irrigation, 
9. Carnegie liegion. This area may be known by the name of 
the first explorer to traverse it thoroughly (Carnegie, 1898). Its 
southern part is, so far as known, made up of late ilesozoic or 
early Tertiary sediments, which di]> gently south and are the water- f 
bearing beds of the Nullarbor Kegion (Maitland, 1919 (a), fig. 70, 
p. 46 and ]). 49). The northern part, which has not been geologic- | 
ally mapped, is probably in part composed of the same Mesozoic and 
later rocks and, in part, of the much older Nullagine System. As 
noted later, its western boundary, against the Canning Eegion, has 
not yet been defined. ] 
The rolling sandhill country, clothed with spinifex, dotted with 
desert gums,” and interrui)ted here ami there by '‘breakaways,” 
was described with much aversion by its first explorers. Those 
who have more recently crossed it, weli-e((ui 2 ')ped both materially and 
also with the experience of the ])ioneers, have not found the “hateful 
spinifex” country as forbidding as miglit be expected (Talbot, 1917, 
pp.16-17, 22-38). 
A few salt lakes are known to occur in this area. We are too | 
ignorant regarding their outline to attempt the reconstruction from 
them of a dismembered river system, as has been done by Gregory 
(1907) for the Kalgoorlie, Murchison and other regions. Water- 
courses are absent except in and near the “ breakaAvays. The 
natural Avaters are gnainma- and rock-holes and a feA\' evanescent 
soaks- The absence of native Avells is in strong contrast to their 
abundance in the adjoining Canning Eegion to be presently described. 
No wells have been sunk in this country and aa'o have, therefore, no 
direct knoA\dedge of the nature of the Avater supply. From Avhat is 
knoAvn of the geology, it Avould appear that, being situated partly 
on the intake beds of the Eucla artesian basin, this region Avill 
not yield artesian AA'uter. 
Our knoAA'ledge of the Carnegie Eegion is ATry meagre. AVhat j 
Ave do knoAA' indicates that it is an area of no mineral AA’ealth and is 
pastorally ])ractically valueless. 
10. lyarburton. liegion. This region, Avhich possibly extends as 
far north as Lake Macdonald (lat. 23° 30') is mainly composed of 
