6 
•which the natives call Boboreta. At thirteen miles we arrived at the Biparee Springs. These springs are 
situated at the north end of a small claypan, which is surrounded by high spinifex sandridges. A few natives 
were encamped here, who, however, on our appearance, fled into the sandhills ; the springs, three in number, 
are close together and similar to a great many mound springs on the overland telegraph line ; they are 
slightly above the level of the claypan on little mounds; the water, although somewhat charged with soda, 
is drinkable. One of these springs has been fenced in and cleaned out, which has caused a small stream of 
water to flow into the claypan. I found it to run about 2,000 gallons a day ; a far larger quantity of water 
could be obtained by further improving the spring. From Biparee Springs our course was about west for 
nine miles, over very high and steep spinifex sandridges to another small claypan, which also contains 
three small mound springs similar to those at Biparee ; they are at present useless, being chocked up with 
rubbish. It would require but a little labor to render these springs capable of watering a large quantity of 
stock. We camped at these springs, which the natives call Boolcoorra. Another small claypan, containing 
several springs similar to Boolcoorra, and situated about half a mile to the N.W., amongst the sand- 
hills, is called Tintagurra. I examined the country for several miles to the north and north-east, and at 
sundown returned to camp and took a series of observations to determine the correct position of these springs. 
Wednesday, 12th. — A fearful hurricane, driving clouds of dust and sand into our faces has been blowing 
from the west for the last forty-eight hours, rendering travelling across these sandridges anything but plea- 
sant. We managed to get a start from Boolcoorra Springs by about 7 a.m., our course being very irregular 
and subject to many abrupt turnings. Our pilot, Blucher, at last declared that he was lost. I therefore 
mounted him on another camel and again assumed the lead. We passed Tintagurra Springs, and another 
small spring at about one and a half miles ; this last spring seems to be a favorite camping place for the 
natives ; probably the water is slightly better than that in the other springs. The valleys in between the 
sandridges are now again covered with gidca. At four and a quarter miles we passed Montherida Spring. 
I now turned south, and at three quarters of a mile pulled up at a small spring which the natives call 
Alnagatar. We filled our kegs here in case this should be our last water. On ascending a high sandridge, 
to the east of Alnagatar Spring, I saw another small spring which the natives call Cunja. All these springs 
are similar, and are situated in small claypans amongst high red sandhills ; they could be made to water a 
large number of stock if properly developed. From Alnagatar we pursued a N.N.W. course for four miles; 
thence west by north for another eleven and a half miles, across a hideous spinifex desert, consisting of very 
high and steep red sandridges and narrow sandy valleys. Towards the end of our stage we passed a few gum 
fiats the tops of the sandridges are covered with low bushes, such as grevillia, several kinds of wattle, the 
pituri bush in great profusion, low mallee and native poplar ; the Hack pea is also very abundant ; also a low 
bush belonging to the sensitive order (Neptunia), which seldom expands its leaves. We camped amongst 
the spinifex when too dark to travel any longer. Our routine is as follows : We generally turn out of our 
blankets and prepare for a start about 4 a.m., never later than 5. The camels are then brought in, and 
breakfast and packing up is taken in hand together, both being finished generally by about 7 a.m. ; we then 
make a start and travel all day at a slow and very tedious pace. At sundown, and very often later, a place 
tor a camp is selected ; the camels are then unloaded and hoppled out, the saddles examined, and if necessary 
repaired every night ; and, finally, observations are taken for the purpose of checking and correcting the 
position of the camp, diary written, and plan roughly plotted up. At between 11 and 12 p.m. everything is 
finished, and we again turn in to sleep until 4 o’clock next morning; the latitude of our present camp is 
23° 59' 27". * 
Ihursday, 13th- — A start at about the usual time was made this morning, on a westerly course, across 
the usual high spinifex sandridges. At about six miles we crossed a creek (Apinga) which is merely a flooded 
flat about a quarter of a mile wide, between two sandridges ; the flat is thickly covered with rank grass and 
stunted gum and box or coolibah, the only grass and timber within miles of this spot. I now altered the 
course to N.N.W. At about two miles we again entered the Northern Territory of South Australia. We 
continued to follow the creek up for about seventeen miles, crossing on to the eastern side and camping at 
sundown. The creek, which is about half a mile wide, still retains its flat appearance ; it is overgrown with 
lank glass and also a few rushes, and thickly timbered with bloodwood and stunted gum, which, however, is 
gradually decreasing in size ; the floods have also washed out several small channels amongst the timber. The 
country thus far on each side of the creek consists of a miserable spinifex desert ; the soil has changed con- 
siderably since leaving the Mulligan flats ; it now consists of a loose red sand mixed with particles of clay. This 
combination is very porous, and very seldom (never in my experience) holds a permanent waterhole The 
latitude of our camp is 23° 45' 25" S. 
Friday, 14th. — A start was made after the camels at 4- 15 a.m. At 7 we left the camp and then spent 
several hours in searching the creek for water and in tracking a native whose tracks wc found last night. 
M e very soon overtook a lubra, and shortly afterwards saw her husband or companion perched in a tree. 
We made signs to him and he soon joined us; the only article of clothing these two natives possessed 
being a part of an old red kerchief, which the lubra had tied across her breast; very soon this became 
irksome, and she discarded this her only article of dress. Also our black boy had a long conversation with 
them, which being finished we all started up the creek in a N.N.W. direction across spinifex sandrido-es. 
At tliiee miles we arriv ed at the top of a rather high rocky sandstone ridge, from which we obtained an 
extensive view; low table-top hills are visible towards the N.W. and N.E. After crossing to the north side 
of the ridge we arrived at a box and polygonium swamp, which our friends the natives called “ Woonunajilla.” 
Large but very shallow sheets of water were visible amongst the box timber, a most pleasing sight after the 
wretched dry sandridges. After resting a few minutes, during which we tried to shoot some d°ucks— there 
appealed to^be thousands, yet we did not obtain one — we continued on our former course, over low spinifex 
sandridges for about six miles further, to the top of another sandstone ridge. Out black friends now ur°-ently 
desired to ride with us on our camels. A very extensive view is obtained from this last stony ridge ; low 
table-top hills are visible from west round by north to east. Blucher, our black boy, informed me that the 
creek which we were following up came through a gap in a distant range bearing about N.N.W. ; this will 
therefore be our future course. We had some difficulty to find a way for the camels down the north side of 
the sandstone ridge ; after various attempts we succeeded at some risk in getting them safely down. The 
country now changes into fine hard flats, beautifully timbered with gum, acacia, and a few mulga, and splendidly- 
grassed, good herbage, including saltbush, being very abundant ; it seemed to us like travelling through a 
garden after our late experience amongst the sandridges. At sundown we arrived at a small waterhole which 
the na+ives call “ Walcataman ” ; it contains about two feet of rainwater. We camped here. The observed 
latitude 
