d to be 21
degrees 6 minutes 22 seconds.

14th August.

As travelling near the river was found to be very laborious, on account
of the vast beds of loose drift-sand thrown up by the summer floods, we
steered to the south-south-east for a pass in the ranges about twenty
miles distant, through which the river was supposed to come, but on
reaching the hills, the river was observed to the westward; we
accordingly altered our course to south-west, and struck it at about six
miles; the character of the river being still the same, the aggregate
width of the several channels amounting to nearly half a mile; water
being procured in them by digging a few inches in the sand. The country
passed over during the day was an open plain of light sandy loam,
interspersed with bare granite rocks, cropping out at intervals of a few
miles. Giant ant-hills of from ten to sixteen feet in height, and thirty
to forty feet in circumference (a few of which had already been met with
on our first trip), were here remarkably conspicuous, on account of their
size and bright brick-red colour. An emu was shot during the day, while
running at full speed, at the range of over 200 yards. Camp 58.

Latitude 21 degrees 23 minutes 23 seconds.

15th August.

One of the horses was missing this morning, so we did not start until 10
a.m., when the river was followed up to the south-east through country
the same as yesterday; halting for the night in latitude 21 degrees 32
minutes 13 seconds. Camp 59.

16th August.

Our average course to-day was nearly east, occasionally crossing channels
coming from the south-east. Towards evening we found that the main
channel, which it had been our intention to have followed, had escaped
our observation to the southward, and we were only on a comparatively
small tributary coming from a rugged range of hills to the eastward. Our
object for the present not being to push too far into the interior, this
tributary was followed until it broke up into numerous small valleys, in
one of which water was obtained by digging three feet in the sand,
amongst tolerable feed, the country having much improved in the course of
the day. Camp 60.

Latitude 21 degrees 34 minutes.

ROCKY RANGES.

17th August.

Soon after starting this morning we came upon a camp of natives, but we
could not prevail upon any of them to stop and hold parley with us. Four
hours' travelling over rather rocky ground led us well into the range,
which we f