8.30 a.m. on a bearing
of 239 degrees to avoid the stones on the hills. At five miles and a half
got some rain water; at nine miles changed our bearing to 255 degrees; at
fifteen miles camped among the sand hills. Shot another wallaby. The
timber about here is very large, consisting of black oaks, mallee, mulga,
the native peach, the nut, and numerous low scrubs. The grass is good in
some places. The mountain that I am steering for is further off than I
anticipated; we got sight of it a short time before we halted; it seems
to be very high, and I expect something good will be the result of our
visit to it to-morrow. The hills that we were camped under last night are
composed of quartz, and are connected with the range that we were on
running to the south-west. Distance to-day, twenty six miles.

Saturday, 7th August, Sand Hills going to the High Mount. Left at 8.30
a.m. on the same bearing, 255 degrees, for eighteen miles to the foot of
the mountain. At fifteen miles camped under the highest point, which is
composed of quartz rock. The journey to-day has been through horrid dense
scrub and heavy sand hills, to the foot of the hill, which I have named
Mount Finke. It is as high as Mount Arden; I have not light to get on the
top of it to-night. Very little rain has fallen here, and we have been
without water for the last two nights: the country is of such a light
sandy soil that it will not retain it. I almost give up hopes of a good
country; this is very disheartening after all that I have done to find
it. If I see nothing from the top of the mount to-morrow, I must turn
down to Fowler's Bay for water for the horses. As I could not remain
quiet, I got on one of the lower spurs of Mount Finke to see what was
before me. The prospect is gloomy in the extreme! I could see a long
distance, but nothing met the eye save A DENSE SCRUB AS BLACK AND DISMAL
AS MIDNIGHT. On my return I found that Forster had succeeded in finding
water by digging in the creek. Distance to-day, twenty miles.

Sunday, 8th August, Mount Finke. At dawn of day I ascended the mountain,
but was unable to see much more than I did last night, in consequence of
there being a mist all round. No high rising ground is to be seen in any
direction. A FEARFUL COUNTRY. Left the mount at 9.30 a.m. on a bearing of
270 degrees. At eighteen miles halted to give the horses some food, as
they were obliged to be tied up all last night, there not being any feed
for them, an