9 
and night. At 2 o clock in the morning one man returned and reported having examined the creek for 
eleven miles without finding water. Whilst returning with the camels a native well was found on the eastern 
side of the creek, about five miles from here, and another about, two miles from here. The camels were left 
at the five-mile well. I directed him to return and fill the waterkegs, and if possible to bring half the camels 
into camp to-morrow. 
Saturday 22nd. — About noon, one man and the black boy arrived with one set of kegs full of water, and 
four camels, the rest are still at the five-mile well. I left the black boy to mind the camp, and returned with 
Fowler to the well, two miles from here. After some trouble we dug out a large hole in the sand, about 
Sft. long, 6ft. wide, and over 3ft. deep, to hard pipeclay and sand bottom; to accomplish this we had to shovel 
out an immense quantity of loose dry sand. The camels drank about forty gallons each, and it took until 
sundown to satisfy them all ; the water drains into the well very slowly. Returned to camp after sundown, 
directing Fowler to bring the rest of the camels in as soon as they had received a drink. About 8 o’clock 
arman arrived with the remaining camels, and shortly afterwards Fowler also returned. 
Sunday, 23rd. Collected the water out of the wells in the creek for a final drink for the camels to- 
morrow morning. In the afternoon I proceeded to the westward for about eight miles, across red sandy 
country covered with spinifex and low mallee bushes ; returned to camp, as I saw no appearance of a change 
of country ahead. Marked a large gum tree near these wells on the western side of the creek c $-, this being 
my twenty-seventh camp. 
Monday, 24th. the camels were brought in early this morning, and we managed to get a start a little 
after 6. \\ e continued to follow the Hay River down, which trends in a S.S.E. direction. At about two 
and a half miles I ascended one of two small stony rises on the western side of the Hay River. The Adam 
Ranges are visible towards the north and east; towards the S.E. a high hill is visible a few miles distant. 
j. he creek or river passes close to its western side. I have named this feature Mount Winnecke, after a 
relation. Towards the S.W. the country appears to be level, and to consist of spinifex and scrub. We 
continued our journey, passing close to Mount Winnecke, at six miles. At eleven miles, the country becomes 
slightly undulating, and a little further on changes into low sandridges which approach or rather run parallel 
with the creek on both sides. I thoroughly examined the latter, but only found one small dry native well 
near the mount. I he creek has a wide sandy channel and red clay and sand bank from 3ft. to 8ft. high ; it is 
splendidly timbered, containing many fine large gum trees, a great many measuring quite 4ft. in diameter. 
I he creek is flanked on each side by narrow and well-grassed flats, which have at one time been flooded ; these 
flats neier appear to extend further than half a mile from the creek; occasionally, however, the everlasting 
spinifex forces its way up to the banks of the river. We camped about an hour after sundown, having 
travelled over thirty miles. Our camp is situated in the middle of the creek, the only place we could find 
at a 1 tree from those noxious burs which are a curse to this country. The creek near our camp has a white 
sand) channel Irom five to six chains wide, with many lateral clay channels, which, however, are quite useless 
as far as holding water is concerned; the soil, or clay, is too porous to hold water longer than a week. Our 
camels have been on very bad feed lately, and several of them were on the point of giving in to-day The 
latitude of this camp is 23° 30' 11". b ° j 
1 uesday, 25th. No. 28 camp. I left most of the camels to rest here to-day, whilst I was examining 
the country on both sides of the creek. _ One man was dispatched to the westward ; on his return, he reported 
havmg travelled due west for eleven miles, over sandy country and very low sandridges covered with dense 
spinifex and a few low wattle and mallee bushes. I started at 6 a.m. on a N.E. course (50°) across similar 
country. At fourteen miles I altered my course to east (90°) for nine miles, then south (180°) for one and 
ha.t miles; south-west (210°) for two miles; west by south (250°) for seventeen miles; and finally west for 
three miles back to camp. \V ith the exception of about a mile near the creek, which is splendidly grassed the 
whole of the country passed over to-day consists of low sandy undulations, sometimes assuming the appearance 
of low sandridges covered with high dense spinifex and openly timbered with desert grevillia, box, and low 
mallee and wattle bushes. 
Wednesday, 26th.— This morning I found that the wild dogs, of which there are a large number here, 
have carried oil one of my boots; this is a most unfortunate occurrence, as I have no substitute with me. 
M e spent several hours searching around the camp to no purpose. I suppose I shall have to be content 
wit i one boot until I return to Sandringham Station. This could not have happened in a worse country. The 
ground, bushes, &c., are literally smothered with burs, from which our camels suffer severely - we started 
late in consequence. Ihe natives with whom our black boy made friends and camped last night had previously 
cleared off, leaving all their utensils behind. We again followed the creek, which still trends in a S.S.E. 
direction; m a few miles numerous box and gum channels branch off, some running out into the sandridges 
m ii st others again join the main channel; at about nine miles from Yarracurracoo (native well) the creek 
with its several channels is from two to four miles wide. The gum flats and those sandridges in between the 
different creek channels over winch the floods have passed are splendidly grassed. Great quantities of dry 
Roh-l oh bushes have been blown into the creek and almost block up the main channel and flat, which is 
about half a mile wide ; in many places the floods have washed entire sandridges away. It twenty-three 
miles we camped on a splendidly-grassed gum flat, about half a mile to the east of the main channel, which 
here is onl) lecogmsible by the floodmarks and a few deep ruts in the soil; the country a few miles to the 
east and west of the creek consists of high red sandridges, covered with dense spinifex and a little cane grass 
observations^ W 1<JW ° ^ grevillla buslles - It; turned out to be too cloudy to obtain any reliable 
Friday 28th.— No. 30 camp, Hay River. I left most of the camels here in charge of one man and the 
^ h b f V ly ta ru g the r V ° faSteSC “ mels and one man - 1 started down the creek in a S.S.E. direction 
at about 6 a m Ihe creek now consists of numerous flooded flats several miles wide; these are densely 
course^to s'w cro ? ^ "° an >' dcfi "* d At eighteen miles I altered my 
couise to S. W . (230 ). After crossing the creek, I at once got into high red sandridges and sandy valleys 
covered with spinifex, low grevilha, and wattle bushes. At twelve miles, seeing no apparent change of 
country ahead I again altered my course to nearly east (76° 30') for thirteen miles to the eastern side of the 
Ilay River, . which now consists of only six flooded flats, divided or separated bv high sandridges and densely 
timbered with gum and box again altered bearing to N.E. for three miles into spinifex "sandridges^ 2 
here camped, it being too dark to see. Our stage to day is a little over fortv-six miles, and the camels on 
being turned out at once lay down, being too tired to feed. ' camels on 
B — No. 39. 
Saturday, 
