12 
to abandon the intention of following its channel to its source, 
important as it appeared when last seen. Our horse is now very 
much in need of water. Jam unable to spare him much from the 
limited quantity in our casks, and, as my arrangements with Mr. 
Horn and the main party are to meet them to-morrow (Friday) 
evening at Ross Camp on the Lilla, thirty-eight miles west from 
Crown Point, I changed our course to 324° 50’. This will eventu- 
ally bring us to the river. Journeying on during the evening, over 
sandhills covered with porcupine and dense cassia bushes for three 
miles, we reached firmer soil with patches of limestone rubble. 
At four and:a half miles we crossed a small gum creek, which soon 
joined a larger one amongst small stony slopes overgrown with 
mallee (/Hucalyptus oliosa/. When five and a half miles had been 
completed we fortunately discovered a little grass. Upon this we 
camped, having travelled twenty-two and a half miles. A great 
deal of time was absorbed to-day in ascending and examining 
various hills. 
Friday, May 18th.—Camp No. 12; bar. 28°83in., ther. 28°. 
An exceedingly cold and uncomfortable camp induced an early 
start. Continued on yesterday’s bearing. At one and a quarter 
miles crossed a large gum creek haying a well-defined channel 
some 60yds. in width, showing signs of heavy floods at some remote 
period. ‘The timber (Hucalyptus gorillocalix) growing on the 
banks of this creek is both larger and more abundant than that 
found in the Finke or Goyder rivers. I have named this stream 
the Way, after S. J. Way, Esq., the Lieutenant-Governor and 
Chief Justice of South Australia. Proceeding for three miles on 
our previous course, we crossed hard stony ground, densely over- 
grown with mulga and cassia bushes, through which the camels 
could only with the greatest difficulty force their way. Then we 
came in sight of another large gum creek, about one mile to the 
northward. Changing our bearing to 263° 80’ for half a mile, we 
reached a slight stony rise, from which an extensive view was 
obtained—Mount Humphries bearing 59° 20”, Mount Gordon 101°, 
and Jenkins Bluff 136° 35’. The junction of the Way and Lilla 
bears 51°. and is five and a half miles distant. Here we erected a 
large cairn of stones, and immediately afterwards resumed our 
travelling on a bearing of 259° 40’ across a stony and well-grassed 
plain. Numerous patches of salt, cotton, and blue bush were first 
noticed in this locality, which is by far the best pastoral country 
we have yet seen. At two and a half miles we crossed the Lilla, 
which has a well-defined and broad sandy channel. ‘The flood 
marks, however, extend on either side beyond the river bed. I 
now directed the black boy to follow the creek, and to make a 
