creek. Distance, thirty miles.

Tuesday, 15th November, Spring of Hope. The spring is still good,
yielding a plentiful supply of water. Sent one of the men to the east and
south-east to examine some white patches of country that I saw on our
journey up here, while I, with one man and two days' provisions, started
south-west to a high and prominent hill in the range. At 11 a.m. arrived
at the top, from which I had a good view of the country all round. It is
a table-topped hill, standing on high table land, which is intersected
with numerous small watercourses, flowing towards the Douglas on the
south and west sides of the mount, which I have named Mount Anna. It is
compound of ironstone, quartz, granite, and a chalky substance, also an
immense quantity of conglomerate quartz and ironstone, which has the
appearance of having been run together in a smelting works. There are
also numerous courses of slate of different descriptions and colours; the
quartz, which exists in white patches, predominates, and gives the
country the appearance of numerous springs. These patches have deceived
me two or three times to-day. At twenty miles the sand hills begin again;
the country being rather poor, with a number of isolated hills, and also
some white chalky cliffs of twenty feet high and upwards. No water nor
appearance of any to the west for a considerable distance. Changed to the
north-west to look at some more white country. I am again disappointed;
it turns out to be quartz with low chalky cliffs, and a large quantity of
igneous stone. Country the same, with salt bush and a little grass in
places. I can see no inducement for me to go further, so I shall return
to the camp. Arrived after dark. My eyes are still very bad, and I suffer
dreadfully from them. To-day has been hot, and the reflection from the
white quartz and the heated stones was almost insufferable: what a relief
it was when the sun went down! Distance, forty-five miles.

Wednesday, 16th November, Spring of Hope. Still very ill, and unable to
go out myself. Sent Muller to examine the creek nearer Mount Margaret for
water; if he finds any near the mount, I shall move there, as it will be
nearer, for building the cone of stones on the top of the mount, than
Hawker Springs. Shod our horses, and built a small cone of stones on a
reef of rocks that runs along the top of a hill about half a mile
west-north-west from the spring, to which it will act as a land mark.
Muller has