well; altered the course to west-south-west, crossing
three small watercourses trending north-west; and at 1.15 p.m. halted at
the foot of a bare granite hill, on the top of which there was a fine
pool of rainwater in a shallow basin of the rock.

Latitude 28 degrees 50 minutes 51 seconds; longitude 116 degrees 29
minutes.

7th September.

Started at 7.15 a.m. on a course 255 degrees through acacia thickets; at
10.5 crossed a narrow strip of salt marsh, which spread out into dry salt
lakes to the south; after this the country was grassy till 11.30, when we
entered a dense thicket of acacia, melaleuca, cypress, and eucalypti, the
ground gradually rising till 4.0 p.m., and then descending till 5.25,
when we crossed a small dry watercourse trending south; at 6.10
bivouacked in a gum forest without water or grass, though a large flight
of white cockatoos which roosted near seemed to indicate that water was
not far distant.

Latitude 28 degrees 58 minutes 14 seconds; longitude 116 degrees 6
minutes.

8th September.

Leaving the bivouac at 7.0 am steered west; at 7.20 came to a grassy
granite hill, then west-north-west to another hill, where we halted for
half an hour to look for water, but being unsuccessful, again resumed a
westerly course through acacia thickets, alternating with grassy gum
forest, till noon, when the soil changed from a red loam to ironstone
gravel; grass disappeared and was replaced by scrub; the country was much
broken and continued to rise till 4.0 p.m., when it began to descend
rapidly till 4.30, when we came to a small watercourse trending south;
following it down for half a mile, found a small pool of water and some
grass, and halted for the night, this being the only water seen for
nearly fifty miles.

Latitude 28 degrees 58 minutes 50 seconds; longitude 115 degrees 45
minutes.

DISCOVER TWO SEAMS OF COAL.

9th September.

At 7.30 a.m. resumed a westerly course through grassy gum forest; at 8.0
a.m. crossed a large watercourse trending south, with many shallow pools
of water; the country then became scrubby; at 9.10 crossed a granite
ridge and entered a rich grassy valley timbered with eucalypti and
raspberry-jam wattle, a small watercourse trending north. The ridge on
the west side of the valley was destitute of timber, but covered with
dense wattle brush; at 10.0 a.m. altered the course to 305 degrees, and
at 10.35 came on the head of a small stream-bed with pools of water;
followi