7 
latitude was 23° 27' 57" ; this watcrholc, which is situated in a branch creek on the west side of the main 
creek, is about 150 yards long, forty yards wide, and from four to ten feet deep when full. The banks are 
formed of red porous soil. 
Saturday, 15th. — We left Walcataman Waterhole at 7 a.m., on our previous bearing ; at one and a half 
miles we passed another waterhole which our black friends called “Tirmargee” ; it is about the same size as 
Walcataman, and contains about the same quantity of water at present. A large number of pigeons, parrots, 
cockatoos, and other birds come here to water ; we managed to shoot enough to make a stew. After travelling 
about eleven miles across the same kind of country we passed over yesterday afternoon, we arrived at another 
waterhole which thelubra called “ Mircirrow.” It seemed to surprise our sable friends very much to find it 
quite dry. Its dimensions are sixty yards long, fifteen yards wide, and eighteen feet deep. The creek now splits 
up into numerous wide clay channels, which seem to carry off an immense volume of water at times, judging 
by the floodmarks. Dark scrubby ranges are visible a few miles distant on both sides of the creek ; they 
are rather high in places, and covered with mulga scrub. Granite is the chief formation, which is a sign, 
that no springs exist in this neighborhood. 1 now altered the course to magnetic north, following the creek, 
which is here a network of clay watercourses ; fine green herbage is very abundant and grows to an 
extraordinary size. At seven miles we arrived at another and rather large waterhole, called “ Wonnadinna.” 
We found about thirty natives camped here ; most of them made off to the ranges on our approaching their 
camp ; a few of the men, however, came up to us ; they seemed quite at home with the camels, and not the 
least afraid of anything they saw. This waterhole is about 200 yards long, thirty yards wide, and about 
sixteen feet deep ; it contains about four feet of water at present. The blacks spoke of another water 
a short distance up the creek, which they called “ Mur-pronga.” Upon my intimating that I wished to see it, 
they all started up the creek, carrying a number of emus, which they had just killed and cooked, on their heads. 
At one and a half miles we all arrived at a small puddle of water in a deep clay channel. A second lot of 
natives were camped here ; they however all fled into the ranges. We passed their camp and continued up 
the creek. Our former friends here left us and remained at the native camps. At two and a half miles the 
ranges close up and approach the creek on both sides ; just beyond we arrived at a large waterhole which 
the natives call “ Alanajeer.” This appears to be the principal waterhole in this creek ; it is about 400 yards 
long, twenty yards wide, and from ten to twenty- five feet deep; the banks, however, are composed of red 
soil, which allows the water to soak away very rapidly. At present the water extends along the creek for some 
distance, probably for a mile and a half, including numerous breaks ; it is, however, very shallow. Alanajeer 
proper contains about five feet of water in the deepest part, and will last perhaps four months longer; it is 
by no means permanent, but water could be obtained here for fully twelve months after rain, either on the 
surface or by scratching in the sand. The country in the immediate vicinity of the creek is splendidly 
grassed. Mitchell and various other grasses as well as good herbage is very abundant, and also those bushes 
which cattle prefer. Scrubby ranges of some elevation are visible in all directions ; those towards the west 
appear to be the highest. I have called these ranges the “ Adam Ranges,” after Mr. Adam Hay, of Queensland. 
They extend a considerable distance to the westward ; the flats between the ranges are beautifully timbered 
with fine large bloodwood and gum ; mulga and gidea or myall are also plentiful. We camped at Alanajeer, 
the latitude of which is 23° 11' 17". 
Sunday, 16th. — I was fully employed in plotting up my sketchings and bringing the diary up to date: 
the waterkegs also required cleaning out, as they have become very foul. I also marked a large box tree on 
the west side of the waterhole c ^', this being my twenty-third camp since leaving Cowarie. 
Monday. 17th. — A start was made after the camels at 4T0 a.m. We left Alanajeer Waterhole about 
7 a.m. ; our course was a little north of west towards the point of a range. We travelled over magnificently 
grassed flats, openly timbered with fine large gums, gidea, and grevillia. At two miles we crossed several 
branch creeks of the Field River. These creeks run through a gap in the ranges to the south, and eventually 
form a junction with the main channel several miles south of Alanajeer. At a little over five miles we 
arrived at a point of the range from which an extensive view was obtained towards the N.E., in which 
direction many detached flat-top hills and bluffs were visible. We now proceeded up a wide valley with 
high scrubby ranges on both sides ; at ten miles we arrived at a very high and prominent hill ; it is by far the 
highest point we have yet visited. To the west of the Field River, a very extended view revealed numerous 
flat-top, round, and pointed hills ; towards S.W. the country however appears very level; the distant horizon 
towards the west, and a little to the north of it, is broken by a succession of peaks; they appear to be very 
distant. We continued on a westerly course, leaving the ranges behind and to the north. In a few miles 
we entered a well-grassed mulga and boxwood scrub, which, however, very soon changed into the usual desert 
country, consisting of red sand covered with spinifex, low mallee and wattle bushes, and a few bloodwood 
and grevillia trees. At about twenty-four miles we camped between two low stony hills. I obtained a good 
view from the western hill in the early morning; the high hill previously mentioned bears exactly east. 
Another very prominent mount is visible to the E.S.E. Very low stony rises extend in all directions. 
Towards the north and west the horizon is occupied with innumerable detached table-top hills. The country 
in the immediate vicinity of these hills has been recently burnt, and presents for miles a very red and glaring 
appearance. Our black boy, Blucher, is very ill ; he has been crying like a child nearly all day. Observed for 
latitude during the night. 
Tuesday, 1 8th.- — This morning Blucher appeared to be seriously ill and quite unable to move. The 
jolting of the camel seems to have shaken his inside to pieces. We left the camp about 6 - 30 a.m., still 
following a westerly course over desert country. I am anxious to find some water so that I may be able to 
give Blucher some rest and a chance of recovering, which I must admit to be extremely doubtful. He is 
very fainthearted, and has fully made up his mind to die ; he is also very anxious for me to return to Bindiacka 
or Sandringham Station. At about sixteen and a half miles we again crossed the Adam Ranges, and ascended 
a high hill for which I have been steering since yesterday; the hill is wedge-shaped and capped with an 
immense block of red granite, which is plainly visible for a long distance ; this hill forms the highest point 
of the ranges in this neighborhood ; it is principally composed of granite, hornblende, mica, quartz, and 
other rocks crop out in places. I have named this hill Mount Tietkens, after Mr. W. H. Tietkens, F.R.G.S., 
the well-known Western Australian explorer. Another high hill, standing apart and forming the south- 
western extremity of these ranges, I have named Mount Smith, after Mr A. Smith, of Adelaide. I altered 
our bearing to west by south, passing a high hill (Mount Smith) at five miles. This hill is very conspicuous ; 
it is almost circular, and composed of granite, capped with ironstone, which gives it a black appearance from 
a distance. Isolated hills are visible towards the north, east, and south ; towards the west the country 
appears- 
No. 39. 
