But I am trenching upon debatable ground; I have no desire to enter upon an argument on the subject; it is doubtless better to believe the tenets, taught to us in our childhood, than to seek at maturer age to unravel a mystery, which it is self-evident the Great Creator never intended that man in this state of existence should become acquaiuted with. However

I'll say no more on such a subject; it is quite foreign to the matter of my travels, and does not ease my fever in any way, in fact it rather augments it.

Wednesday, 10th December.-Thermometer last night 92°, this morning 76°; the early part of the night was hot, but it cooled considerably towards morning. I was terribly ill this morning, and it was agony to have to rise, but go I must. The day was again hot, the thermometerstanding at 110° in the shade. We reached the Lightning-Rock by three p.m. in twenty-four miles, on the same bearing as yesterday; the water was all gone from the surface of the native well, but by digging a small quantity was obtained. I was too ill to dig, Mr. Tietkens and Gibson doing the work; there were a number of native fig-trees growing upon the rocks, and while Gibson was at work, Mr. Tietkens went to see, if he could get any ripe fruit; and it was most fortunate he did so, as on the side of the hills, opposite to where we were, he noticed another large bare rock, on which he also found a fine large rock-tank, with a good supply of water in it. He did not get any figs, but the discovery of the tank was far more preferable; we soon drove all the horses over to it, and they were all enabled to drink their fill. I was never more delighted at the discovery of water in my life, for there was sufficient to allow me to remain here a day or two, the thought of riding again to-morrow was killing to me; indeed I had made up my mind, to remain behind, while the rest of the party and the horses went on to the water; but this discovery enabled us all to remain.

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Thursday,11th December.-Thermometer last night 80°, this morning 62°. To-day the camp was removed to the new tank, about a mile. I could scarcely move hand or foot. The day was very warm, the thermometer standing at 108° in the shade. Friday, 12th December.-Thermometer last night 86°, this morning 63°. To-day we remained at this rock-tank. It was most fortunate that there was sufficient water for us, though the horses had now reduced it most considerably, and we shall not leave a drop behind us when we depart; this basin would be of some size, were it cleaned out. could not tell what depth it is, as it is now almost entirely filled up with the debris of ages. Its shape is elliptical, and it measures thirty feet long by fifteen feet broad, its sides being even more abrupt than perpendicular, and the horses could not get to the water without jumping in at one place; there was only about two and a-half feet of water in this basin, the rest being soil. If I possessed a wheelbarrow or a cart, I would have done something to it; but without such appliances nothing could be done. The day was much cooler, than the preceding ones; the thermometer only rose to 100° in the shade.

Saturday, 13th December.-Thermometer last night 34°, this morning 70°. We remained at this tank again to-day. I called it Tietkens" Tank. The thermometer rose to 104°. The water I am sorry to say is nearly done. I am better to-day. To-morrow we must again depart, as by that time all the water will be gone.

Sunday, 14th December.-Thermometer last night 86°, this morning 74°. The water is gone, the tank dry, and the horses are away to the east. It was past 3 p.m. when they were brought back. Unfortunately Gibson's little dog Toby followed him out to-day, and never returned. I sent Gibson back to the Rock (after we started) to await his return, while we went on, but at night Gibson arrived without Toby; no one knows what became of the poor little animal. I told him he could have any horses he liked to go back for him to-morrow; but Gibson was taken ill to-night, much the same as I had been, therefore poor Toby was never recovered. We have still one little dog of mine brought by me from Adelaide, of the same kind as Toby, that is to say, the small black and tan English terrier, though I am sorry to say, he is decidedly not of the breed of that Billy indeed, who used to kill rats for a bet. I forget how many one morning he ate, but you'll find it in sporting books yet. There was no water near the surface at our old tanks, when we arrived, though I knew there was plenty up the creek, and should have gone up to it, but the unpacking was commenced at the old camp, while I was behind. It was very late when we reached the place, and as I was too ill to dig, and Gibson still behind, we turned the horses up the creek, hoping they would go to the water. We had to re-dig one of the tanks, to get water for our own use. For the second time I have been compelled to retreat to this range. Shall I ever get away from it westward? is the question I am always asking myself. Evidently it requires rain, as I now know the country for 150 miles from here, and I am morally sure that there is not a sufficient quantity in all that distance now to water a single horse; and how far it may be beyond 150 miles to the next water, is more than I have been able to determine. The day was again very hot, the thermometer standing at 108° in the shade before we left the Lightning-Rock.

Monday, 15th December.-Thermometer last night 88°, this morning 78°. I was a little better to day, but Gibson was now very ill and could not move. The camp was therefore not shifted. Mr. T. and I went to look for the horses. We got three or four close handy, but the others had gone in various directions, mostly back along Mr. Gosse's dray-track, instead of going up the creek to water. By afternoon we got them all and took them up to the surface-water in a narrow glen, through which the creek runs; we took the horses up in two lots. When we arrived with the first mob there was plenty of water running merrily along the creek-channel, and several nice ponds full, but when we brought the second mob, an hour and a-half afterwards, the water was gone, the stream had ceased to flow, and the nice ponds just mentioned were all but empty and dry; this completely staggered me, so suddenly to find the drainage cease. The day was again warm, the thermometer standing at 110° when we returned to camp. I was in a perfect bewilderment at the thought of the water having so suddenly disappeared, and I was wondering where I should have to retreat to next, as it appeared there would be literally no water here at all in a day or two. On reaching the camp I was much exhausted with my morning's walk, and lay down in the shade of our bough-gunyah, which Gibson had erected the last time we were here. I had scarcely settled myself upon my rug, when suddenly a most pronounced shock of earthquake occurred; the volcanic wave, which caused a sound like thunder, passing along from west to east right under

us, shaking the ground and the gunyah so violently as to make me jump up. As the wave passed on we heard up in the glen, to the east of us, great concussions, and the sounds of smashing and falling rocks hurled from their native eminences, rumbling and crashing into the glen below. The atmosphere was very still to-day and the sky clear, except to the west, where a few clouds were gathered.

Tuesday, 16th December.-Thermometer last night at 92°, this morning 82°; the night was exceedingly hot and close, the morning cloudy; a few sprinkling drops of rain fell. Gibson is still very ill; so I shall not remove the camp to-day. I was of course in a great state of anxiety about the water-supply; Mr. Tietkens and I therefore went after the horses, and getting them all together we took them to the place where we had watered them yesterday, when I was enchanted to behold the stream again in full flow, and the sheets of surface-water as large and fine as when we first saw them yesterday. I was rather puzzled at this singular circumstance, and concluded that the earthquake had shaken the foundations of the hills and thus forced the water up; at all events, from whatever cause it proceeded, I was exceedingly glad to see it (I, of course, had heard of intermittent springs, but I could not consider this as one of that class). To-day was much cooler than yesterday, there was an east wind blowing, the thermometer did not rise beyond 100° in the shade. At 3 p.m. (being at the same time of day) we had another shock of earthquake similar to that of yesterday, only that the volcanic wave passed a little more northerly, and the sounds of breaking and falling rocks came from over some hills north-east of us.

Wednesday, 17th December.-Thermometer last night 82°, this morning 76°. The night was cloudy, and we had thunder and lightning towards morning. Gibson being better to-day I removed the camp up to the glen, where the surface-water existed. We pitched our encampment upon a small piece of rising ground, and where there was a fine little pool in the creek-bed, partly formed of rocks, over which the murmuring streamlet flowed, forming a most agreeable little bath. The day was cool and cloudy, the thermometer not rising higher than 100° in the shade. The glen here is almost entirely filled up with teatree, and we had to cut quantities of it away, to approach the water easily. This is also the only kind of timber here for firewood. Many trees are of some size, being seven and eight inches through, but mostly very crooked and gnarled. The green wood appears to burn equally as well as dead, and forms a good ash for baking dampers. We had our usual shock of earthquake again to-day, and at the usual time.

Thursday, 18th December.-Thermometer last night 82°; this morning 74°. A windy and cloudy night; the day cool; thermometer 100° in shade. Three p.m. earthquake, quivering hills, broken and toppling rocks, and scared and agitated rock-wallabies. We erected a fine large bough-house to-day, as they are so much cooler than tents. We also cleared several patches of rich brown soil, and made little gardens, planting all sorts of garden and other seeds. I have now discovered, that towards afternoon, when the heat is greatest, the flow of water ceases in this creek daily, but at night, during the morning hours, and up to about midday, the little stream flows purling along over stones and through sand as merrily as one can wish. This encampment, which I have named "Fort Mueller," cannot be said to be a very pretty spot, for

it is so confined by the hills on both sides of the glen, that there is scarcely room to turn round in it. The hills are formed of huge masses of red and black blocks of bare stone, being granite, coated with iron. We have had also to clear the ground round our fort of the triodia, which originally grew here. The sides of the hills are also thickly clothed with this dreadful grass. There are some fine open flats and valleys round this range, where the horses feed; indeed, it is an excellent piece of country, except immediately near the water or on the hills, and will probably not escape the notice of the first settlers in this region. Mr. Gosse's camp is in the same range, and about four and a half miles away to the westward. It was his last depôt-camp, and numbered 14; and it is not at all surprising, that he returned, having searched the country well for some distance beyond this point; and the view of any country west from here is of such a gloomy nature, that all I can say about it is, that it is exceedingly inviting to return. From here I pushed beyond the extreme points of all hills, watercourses or scrubs, and entered, as I have previously described, an open, undulating triodia-desert, which ends I cannot judge where. I am now compelled to rest awhile in depôt, hoping, as we are so constantly threatened, that rains will fall and enable me, to push out westward again. I only ask for water at Elder's Creek, a hundred miles west from here. The sky has been greatly overcast all the morning, especially to the northward, and I thought, by taking a tour out in that direction, I might find some places, where rain had fallen; so Mr. Tietkens and I prepared to start away again to-morrow.

Saturday, 20th December.-Thermometer last night 74°, this morning 66°. Though the sky was cloudy and overcast nearly all night, the morning was clear and cool. Mr. Tietkens and I got away rather late, and only travelled eighteen miles, passing through, or rather over, the western end of another line of hills lying N.E. from here, whose extreme western point I named Mount Scott, after Andrew Scott, Esq., of Jolimont, Melbourne, a subscriber to the fund for my expedition. We found a small creek, but no water. The country appeared to have been quite unvisited by any rains. The day was cool, the thermometer rising only to 90°. We had to encamp without water for the horses. We carried a small quantity in a keg for ourselves. The country between these two ranges was not nearly so scrubby as that lying further west. It consisted chiefly of red sandhills, which the natives had recently burnt, and the country was free from spinifex, on that account making travelling the more easy. Our course to-day was north 40° east.

Sunday, 21st December.—Thermometer last night 74°, this morning 62°. I felt the temperature exceedingly cold last night, as I had only brought one small rug with me from Fort Mueller. In the morning we steered away for a dark-looking, bluff-ending hill, which bore north 20° east. We reached it in twenty-two miles; but before arriving at it we searched amongst a lot of pine-clad hills for water, but found none, nor was there any to be got at the Bluff-Hill. We rested our horses here for an hour, during which time we ascended the hill. From it I discovered, that to the north and for 30° east of that point, and also 10° to the west of it, lay a number of ranges at a very considerable distance from us. The nearest which I considered the most northerly to be I could not estimate at less than sixty miles. They appeared of some length, but were not sufficiently raised above the horizon of scrubs

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(which occupied the intervening regions, and which also rose in undulations to some elevation) to enable me, to form an opinion with regard to their altitude. Those east of north seemed further away and higher, being bolder and more pointed in outline. None of them, I should have remarked, could be seen with the naked eye at first; but when once seen with the field-glasses, the mind's eye would always represent them to us, floating apparently skywards, in their vague and distant mirages. This discovery instantly created a burning desire in both of us, to reach them; but there were one or two questions to be asked before starting. We were now over forty miles from the depôt, the horses one night without water, and the distant ranges were sixty miles further away. There was no probability of water between, and we could not be sure if any existed

in the new ranges. We might easily reach them, but if there was no water, how were we to get back? Close about, in nearly all directions except due north, were broken masses of hills; so I determined to search amongst them for water first. We therefore saddled up our horses, and departed for those nearest, which lay to the eastward; but in them we could discover no signs of the element we were in search of, nor any place, which would retain it for an hour after it fell from the sky. From here we went nearly north-west to a bare, red and inviting-looking hill, with cypress-pines on it, and here we were equally unsuccessful. From this we went nearly east again to some more pine-hills, but with like want of success, there being no place, where water could be expected to be found. From here we saw a kind of gorge or gap in the western portion of the bluff hill we had ascended this morning, and we now steered for it. It lay nearly south-west, but it being now night we had to camp, again without water, having travelled forty-six miles on all courses. The day was, comparatively speaking, cool, the thermometer standing at 90° in the shade.

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Monday, 22nd December.-Thermometer last night 74°, this morning 62°. The night was again very cool, insomuch that I regretted bringing so small a quantity of bedding, for I was too cold to sleep. We were in our saddles again at five a.m., and steering for the gap we could not reach last night. Reaching it in six miles we found there was a small watercourse formed by a lot of little gullies. We traced it up into the hills, but every channel was dry. We then went over the ranges to the south, hoping to find a better locality on that side, but it was precisely similar to the north side, that is to say, there were little dry gullies running into an equally dry little creek. We next turned our attention to more pine-clad hills, lying nearly west, and arrived at them in eight miles, and renewed our search for water, but again without success. did not now know, which way to turn; there was evidently no water whatever in any of these hills or ranges, and we were too far, to reach our depôt by night, so that the horses will be a third night without water and very bad they are now for the want of it. Resolving to return (we however steered for another part of the range we had crossed in coming out) we continued travelling until we crossed our outgoing tracks, when we gave the horses an hour's rest. Starting again, and passing through the range more easterly than before, found another small creek, but as usual quite dry; so after getting clear of the stones of this range we steered straight for the valley near the depôt. We had to camp again without water, having travelled forty-two miles. Much