1d 
high mount in the Johnstone Range, distant thirty-five miles and 
bearing 315° 10’, I have christened Mount Duff, atter His Excel- 
lency Sir R. W. Duff, K.C.M.G., Governor of New South Wales. 
Numerous detached table-top hills, some eighteen miles off, are 
visible from N.N.W. round to N.N.E. Whilst Mr. Watt was 
engaged in collecting fossils I made a complete contour survey of 
this hill, which I have named Mount Watt, after my companion. 
At noon we departed on ‘a bearing of 49° 30’ towards a distant 
peak. Our course now compelled us to cross the sandridges, which 
were both steep and high, the eastern side being invariably more 
abrupt than the western. The camels labored terribly, and appeared 
altogether unused to this sort of travelling, repeatedly falling in 
descending the eastern side of the ridges. It was only by exer- 
cising the greatest care that we averted serious accidents to our- 
selves and the animals; the latter also suffered severely from the 
porcupine grass, and towards evening were in agony. The direction 
of the sandridges appear to be N. 15° EK. The rises are covered 
with thick porcupine grass and low cassia bushes. ‘The intervening 
flats contain a few mulga. Occasionally small patches of stones 
(limestone nodules) are met with between the ridges, and here 
generally a little grass is found. At various distances I observed 
bearings to surrounding hills. At sixteen and a half miles we 
emerged from the sandhills and entered low broken tablelands. 
Our further progress towards the Round Peak, now about one 
and a half miles distant, was barred by very steep and exceedingly 
rough gullies. Eventually, however, we succeeded in getting the 
camels down into a hollow traversed by numerous intricate creeks. 
We were then compelled to lead them on foot several miles down 
the bed of sinuous creeks, frequently forcing a way through dense 
vegetation. After travelling in this fashion for a considerable time 
we finally got clear of the hollow at sundown, having, however, 
made good in a direct line only one and a quarter miles on a bearing 
of 9°. The Finke river was now discernible, and the range of 
detached table hills observed from Mount Watt appeared to the 
north. Altering our course to 29°, at one mile we struck a faint 
track, which we followed on a bearing of 102°, passing to the east 
of several round and flat topped hills. At five and a half miles 
we crossed to the northern side of the Finke river, and at 9 p.m., 
haying travelled an additional nine and a half miles, we arrived 
at the Horse Shoe Bend Station, Engoordina, where I expected to 
find the main party camped; but we only found several deserted 
and dilapidated huts, no sign of any encampment whatever being 
present. It was, therefore, necessary to continue our journey in 
the hope of joining the main party at the mail station. At 1 a.m., 
