Nov. 9, 1857.] BETWEEN MOUNT SERLE AND LAKE TORRENS. 
21 
other, as if in alarm — most probably exclamations at discovering the 
proximity of white people to their camp : they mnst, however, have 
withdrawn from the neighbourhood immediately, as we heard no 
more of them. Next day we continued in the same direction, for 
about 3 miles, to a high conical hill, to the east of the Yerelina, 
from which we had a splendid view of the country around, which, 
in point of romantic scenery, surpassed anything of the kind I had 
ever seen. The Yamba, Nepowie, and Benbonyatha Ranges were 
visible to the east, south-east, and south — their elevated peaks of 
sandstone, fashioned by the atmosphere into fantastic forms, rearing 
their pointed summits high into the air ; the ranges interspersed by 
wide and deep creeks, collecting the water from innumerable gullies 
on both sides of the ranges, and trending their tortuous way to the 
north under perpendicular cliffs of enormous elevation, and inter- 
cepting the narrow valleys with their wide stony beds, rendering the 
way — though delightful at first, from the beauty and variety of the 
scenery — difficult and harassing in the extreme. At noon we 
camped on the MacDonnell, resuming our journey in the afternoon, 
but abandoning the rocky bed of the creek, and working our way 
north over the ranges by bearing — continuing in the same course 
until noon of the next day, when we cleared the hills, and camped 
at a deep and permanent water in the bed of the MacDonnell, which 
we had crossed and re-crossed several times in our northerly course. 
In the afternoon we resumed our journey down the dry bed of 
the creek, which gradually increased in width, with high cliffs on 
either side, one of which we took to be Trimmer Bluff. About 
two miles farther down the creek the cliffs contract, and the bed 
becomes rocky, and difficult to traverse— the men accompanying me 
passing to the eastward to avoid the rocks, while I ascended a high 
bluff, to examine the course of the creek beyond, and was well 
repaid for my trouble, by discovering that a channel, from 60 to 
70 feet deep, had been cut out of the solid rock by the action of 
the water in* times of flood, varying in width from 80 to 
100 yards, and nearly a mile long, in which lay a magnificent 
sheet of water, running strongly at the south end, and increasing in 
depth towards the east bank. The margin on either side was 
fringed with fine gums, extendiug down the creek, considerably 
beyond the spot where the waters were again absorbed into the 
earth. 
This scene, so sudden and unexpected, forming so great a contrast 
to the arid plains and sandy-looking soil composing the bed of the 
creek over which we had so lately passed — the placid appearance of 
the waters, disturbed only by the quiet enjoyment of the water-fowl. 
