2 
maintaining their barren appearance, increase in size and open out, the flats in between becoming stony, and 
good camel feed more abundant. At fourteen miles we camped near Apatoonganie, or Neaylon’s Well, an old 
and apparently deserted station. One of our camels has become crazy, and it is very dangerous work to 
manage him. 
Wednesday, 8th. — Soon after leaving Apatoonganie this morning, the track ascends a gentle rise and we 
are again on the level stony cottonbush and saltbush plains. At one mile the Killalpaninna track branches 
off. At eight miles we passed to the east of a low table-top hill (Mulka Hill), and soon after crossed a narrow 
low sandridge, which has been running parallel to the track for the last ten miles or more. The road now 
crosses wide stony plains, with a single low sandridge at regular intervals ; the ridges are perfectly straight 
for miles, and take an almost due north and south direction (more correctly they tend a little to the west of 
north about 9°). At thirteen miles, after crossing a low sandridge, we suddenly came to Lake Ooroowilanie, 
which we crossed, camping at fifteen miles on a sandhill near its eastern side. This lake is about two miles 
long and nearly half a mile wide, and is surrounded by sandhills. It is covered with green herbage which 
the camels seem to relish amazing]}'. 
1 hursday, 9th. — At daybreak this morning a few light showers of rain fell ; this continued throughout 
the day, making travelling anything but pleasant. After crossing a low sandridge near the camp, the track 
continues over the usual stony plains, which are, if anything, more barren — no vegetation of any sort being 
visible for miles around. About one mile from last night’s camp, and at the foot of the sandhills, a well or 
trial hole has been sunk ; it is about 70ft. deep, and contains salt water. At six miles passed to the right of 
laltra Hill; at twelve miles crossed a few low sandridges. The country now again improves in appearance; 
salt and cotton bush again becomes abundant. At twenty miles, after crossing a few low white sandhills, 
we camped near Mungeranie Waterhole, which is now quite dry ; plenty of water, however, can be obtained 
from the Government well. 
Friday, 10th. — A late start was made, the camels having travelled several miles in hopples during the 
night. I he track crosses a few low sandhills on to a barren stony plain ; at three and a half miles we crossed 
a small gum creek. The stony plains now change into low broken tableland with sandy valleys, devoid of 
any timber or bushes, the only vegetation being a few patches of cottonbush and cane grass in the valleys. At 
eight miles the country again becomes very level ; at twenty-three miles we camped, being unable to proceed 
any further on account of a fearful hurricane. As far as the eye can reach, for miles around, nothing is 
visible excepting a red stony plain. 
Saturday, 11th. — A furious and bitter cold wind continued to blow all night; rain also fell unceasingly 
from b o clock last night until noon to-day; everything in the camp is saturated. About noon we saddled 
up and started for Cowarie Station, the country proving very slippery for the camels ; the track continues 
over the same monotonous plains. At about two miles passed to the eastward of Berlino Station, and at six 
(handler s Waterhole. The country now changes into low broken sandhills; the creek timber also imp roves 
in size and appearance. At ten miles we arrived at Cowarie Station, where we were most hospitably enter- 
tained by Mr. anu Mrs. Helling. 
12th, 13th, 14th and loth. — During the following few days we were employed in arranging all necessary 
camp matters, such as making waterbags, packbags, &c. ; we also killed a bullock, part of which was spiced, 
the rest salted. 
o Start.— I hursday, 16th. — We were astir by 4'30 a.m., but only managed to get under weigh by about 
8 30 a.m. lhe party now consists of myself and two white men, and also a black boy, who volunteered to 
pomt out some waters to the northward. The first few (two and a half) miles of our journey lay across a 
sandy and stony flat. W e then entered the flooded flats of the Warburton River ; the flats are densely timbered 
with box, acacia, and high saltbush, and extend for miles in all directions. At seven miles we came to the 
JU u Cl j 0 5-- 0f tlie ^ erwen *" Creek with the IV arburton River, near a fine large waterhole, which our black boy 
called Kirrianthana. After crossing the Warburton River we continued in a north by west direction over 
flooded flats and several large claypans, and also a few sandridges, until we arrived at the Kallakoopah, which 
is a vide sandy creek, quite as large as the TV arburton, and contains long and deep reaches of water. We 
sor ne difficulty in finding a crossing for the camels. The blackboy was not of the slightest use to us, 
although this is his country ; he gave us to understand that the only way to get across would be by fordino- or 
swimming. We camped on the northern side of the creek and on the western end of a fine waterhole, which 
is said to extend for about twelve miles up the creek. The country travelled over to-day is well covered with 
salt and cotton bush. 
Friday, 17th.- This morning our black boy, Moses, seemed confused and not to know which way to go • 
at last he started m an east by north direction; he led us in a very roundabout way for about four and a half 
miles over low cane-grass sandridges and flooded flats, overgrown with box, acacia, and high saltbush. We 
t cn made several decided turns to the north, and after travelling an additional twelve and a half miles over 
flooded flats, thickly overgrown with box trees, acacia, and black wattle, our pilot turned in a N.N.W. direc- 
tion, following a. chain of claypans and flooded polygonum and saltbush flats between two sandridges. At 
twelve and a half miles we arrived at a small sandy creek, forming the extreme head of the flooded flats. 
le natives appear to have sunk small shallow wells all along this creek, which is only two or three miles 
long, and is formed by the drainage from several small claypans ; the black boy declared all these wells, with 
the exception of one, to be salt— the exception, which he called Pooliadinna, contained plenty of good water- 
we therefore camped here, near a few low green acacia bushes, the only timber in this region. After cleaning 
the well out, and sinking it several feet deeper, we came to liquid mud. By daybreak next morning we only 
managed to get five buckets, or about twelve gallons of water, which we put into the kegs. This well 
is a complete failure ; a high sandridge, about one mile to the north-east of the well, is called Minkakunna The 
flXSd P 3v °T t0 ' day uT S1StS ° f white ; sandridges, most of which are very high and steep, with flooded 
flats and sandy valleys in between; no timber or trees of any kind are visible; the sandridges are partly 
an^also^few^fnuteTiift 11 ^ f ^ 6 f Va Wlth TJ P ol >’g°num, a few patches of saltbush and cottonbush! 
and also a tew minute tufts of inferior grass. I find this well to be in south latitude 27° 12' 0" T everv 
intention of making a start to the north from here, but as the camels have had no water for several days and 
make 6 a^'tar? ffitftlm 8 f “ ° ur .J e gs> 1 ™ ust find mother water of some kind before I venture to 
make a start into the dry country ahead. Moses, also, seems to dislike the country to the northward and 
tried to persuade me to leave it alone ; he declared it to be all salt lakes and sandridges, aid as a further 
P o m t ) mm! on ah ” ^ R ° rth ' east ’ and offered to show me a well in this direction, whichhe called “ Mickery 
Saturday, 
