MOUNT ARDEN. 
51 
very fair supply of it, a point of great importance 
to us at a time when it was necessary to detain the 
whole party for two or three weeks in depot, to 
enable me to examine the country to the north ; 
my former experience having convinced me that it 
would be dangerous to attempt to push on, before 
ascertaining where grass and water could be pro- 
cured. 
We had now travelled upwards of eighty miles 
under Flinders range, from Crystal brook to Mount 
Arden, and hitherto the character of that range had 
varied but little. High, rocky, and barren, it rises 
abruptly from the plains, and so generally even is 
the country at its base, that we had no difficulty in 
keeping our drays within a mile or two of it. This 
was convenient, because we had not far to leave our 
line of route, when compelled to send up among the 
ravines for water. The slopes of Flinders range 
are steep and precipitous to the westward, and com- 
posed principally of an argillaceous stone or grey 
quartz, very hard and ringing like metal when struck 
with a hammer. 
There was no vegetation upon these hills, except- 
ing prickly grass, and many were coated over so 
completely with loose stones that from the steep- 
ness of the declivity it was unsafe, if not impossible 
to ascend them. At one or two points in our route 
I climbed up to the top of high summits, but was 
not rewarded for my toil, the prospect being gene- 
rally cheerless and barren in the extreme, nor did 
e 2 
