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with grey hair amongst them, and their features were by no means prepossessing; some wore the chignon, others not; some were painted with red ochre. I did not notice any boomerangs amongst them. I named this encounter-creek the Officer, after C. M. Officer, Esq., of Victoria, one of the subscribers to the expedition-fund. There was a high mount to the north-east from here, and lying nearly west from Mount James Winter, which I have named Mount Officer, after S. H. Officer, Esq., of Victoria, another subscriber; the sources of this creek, I imagine, come from it. Sunday, 7th September.-Though there was a sound of revelry by night in the enemy's camp, ours was not passed in music. The evening had been cold, the thermometer being down to 44°. By morning it stood at 34°. We were not much troubled with the natives this morning, but as some horses were in sight, Gihson got one to ride after the others with, and Mr. Tietkens took Jimmy with him on top of a hill, to take some bearings for me, and immediately they found me alone, they recommenced their malpractices. Having my arsenal in good fighting order, I determined, if they persistdd in attacking me, to let some of them know, what a white man could do if he liked, but as only two or three came close, fired in the air. They fell back, and though they kept close round watching us, and yelling perpetually, they did not attempt any further attack. I was very gratified to think afterwards, that no blood had been shed, and that we had got rid of our enemies with only the loss of a little ammunition. Leaving Gibson and Jimmy to pack the horses, Mr. T. and I rode up the creek to see, what water supply there was here—the creek had a fine open valley, and there were plenty of reeds in patches in the creek-bed. The water disappeared at a mile above the camp, and for a mile the bed, though damp, was dry-at least it had no surfacewater on it. We then came to where it was running again for more than a mile; and so on alternate spots of dry and running continued as far as we went. At all events there is water in plenty for all the stock, which this country could possibly carry, and it is undoubtedly permanent. When we returned to the camp, the horses were packed, and though it was Sunday, I determined not to remain here any longer, as the horses were frightened at the incessant yells of the natives, and our ears, at least mine, were perfectly deafened with their outcries. We departed at 1 p.m., leaving the aboriginal owners of this splendid piece of land in the peaceful possession of their beautiful hunting-grounds. We went up a little valley nearly west, and through a small gap at three miles, passing a low timbered hill on our left at seven miles, and having the main-range immediately to our right, or north of us. It continued stretching away in heavy high masses of hills, and with a fine open country to the south. At ten miles we crossed another fine creek with excellent timber. Its bed was dry, where we crossed it. While the party went on, I rode up it and came to running water in about a mile and a half, and no doubt for miles beyond that the bed is full of water. I named this fine creek the Currie, after John Currie, Esq., of St. Kilda, one of the subscribers to the expedition-fund. It was rather late, when we arrived at the next creek, being six miles further on. Turning up it a bit we soon found water, and encamped. This was another fine watercourse, with young and vigorous timber. I called it the Levinger, after Bernhard Levinger, Esq., of Melbourne, another subscriber. The country passed over to-day was excellent, being fine open grassy valleys all the way.

Monday, 8th September.-The night was warm, the thermometer standing at 60° at night, and at 40° in the morning. The horses being close handy, we got an early start. Keeping a short distance away from the foot of the main-range, which of course lay to the north of us, we continued for twelve miles, the course being about W.N.W. The country to-day was rather more timbered, than we had previously met with in this range. At twelve miles we reached the banks of another fine watercourse; the horses being almost unmanageable with flashness, running about with their mouths full of rich herbage, kicking up their heels, and biting at one another, that it was almost laughable to see them, with such heavy packs on, attempting any such elephantine gambols; so I determined to give them a good day's stage, to steady them a bit. I went by myself up this creek a short distance, and came to the water running down from the mountains and disappearing in the sand; further up towards the hills no doubt there were miles of running water. I called this Winter-Water, and the creek in which it exists Murndale-Creek, after S. P. Winter, Esq., of Murndale, Victoria, a subscriber to my fund. The creek had a most inviting valley up in the hills; but I did not ascend it further, than where I met the water. At seventeen miles from our camp at the Levinger, and about five from the Murndale, we passed a very high mountain in the range, which seemed to me to be the highest I had seen in it. I named it Mount Davenport, after the Hon. Samuel Davenport, of Adelaide. We now passed up through a small gap over a low hill, and immediately on our appearance we heard the yells and outcries of more natives down on a small flat below, where we saw a small and I suppose happy family, consisting of two men, one woman and one youth, but whether of the male or female sex, I could not determine. When they saw us descend from the little hill, they very quietly like respectable people walked away. Continuing our course in nearly the same direction, that is to say, about W.N.W., and passing two little dry creeks, I climbed a small hill and saw a most beautiful valley about one mile away, stretching out to the north-west, with eucalyptus-timber up at the head of it. The valley appeared entirely enclosed by hills, and was a most enticing sight. Passing through two or three hundred yards of mulga, we came out on the open ground, which was really a sight, that would delight the eyes of a traveller even in the Province of Cashmere, or any other region of the earth. The ground was covered with a thick carpet of green grass and herbage; conspicuous amongst the latter was an abundance of the little purple vetch, which, spreading over hundreds of acres of ground, gave a lovely pink or magenta tinge to the whole scene. I found also, that there was another valley 1unning nearly north, with another creek meandering through it, and apparently joining the one, formerly seen in this valley, though the timber ceased for a mile or two, and grew again below the junction to the south. We had travelled twenty-three miles. I intended searching in the north-west creek for water, but in passing across this fairy space I noticed the white semi-sodaish appearances, that usually accompany springs and flood-marks in this region. I soon reached a most splendid kind of stone-trough, under a little stony creek, which formed an excellent spring running into and filling the little trough, running out at the lower end and disappearing beneath the surface, evidently perfectly satisfied with the duties it had to perform. This was really the most delightful little spot I ever saw ;

a region like a garden, with springs of the purest water spouting out of the ground, for ever flowing into a charming little basin, which was one hundred yards long by twenty feet wide, and in the deepest part four feet deep. There was a quantity of the teatree-bush growing along the various channels, which all contained running water. The valley is surrounded by picturesque hills, and I am certain, that this is the most charming and romantic spot I ever shall behold. I immediately christened it the Fairies' Glen, for it had all the characteristics, to my mind, of fairyland. Of course we encamped here. I would not have missed finding such a spot upon-I won't say what consideration. There were numbers of both ancient and modern native huts near this water, and this is no doubt an old-established and favourite camping-ground of theirs. And how could it he otherwise? No creatures of the human race could view these scenes with apathy or dislike, nor would any sentient beings part with such a patrimony at any price but that of their blood. But the Great Designer of the Universe, in the long past periods of creation, permitted a fiat to be recorded, that the beings, whom it was His pleasure in the first place to plant amidst these lovely scenes, must eventually be swept from the face of the earth by others more intellectual, more dearly beloved and gifted than they. Progressive improvement seems the order of creation; and we, perhaps, in our turn, may be as ruthlessly driven from the earth by another race of yet unknown beings of an order infinitely higher-infinitely more beloved than we. On me, perchance, the eternal obloquy of the execution of God's doom may rest, for being the first to lead the way, with prying eye and trespassing foot, into regions so fair and remote; but being guiltless, alike in act or intention, to shed the blood of any human creature, I must accept it without a sigh.

Tuesday, 9th September. The thermometer last night fell considerably lower than the night previously; registering 44° at night and 24° in the morning, at which time there was a quantity of ice on the water left in the billies and pannikins. I did not move the camp to-day; the place was so charming, I could not tear myself away. Mr. Tietkens and I walked up to and climbed a high mount about three miles north-easterly from the camp; it was of some elevation. We ascended by a gorge, having eucalypts and callitris-pines half-way up the mountain; we found water running from one little basin to another, and high up, near the summit, a bare rock, over which water was gushing. To us, as we climbed towards it, it appeared like a monstrous diamond flashing back the rays of the morning sun. I called this Mount Oberon, after Shakespeare's king of the fairies. The view from the summit was limited. To the west, the hills of this chain still ran on; to the east I could see Mount Ferdinand. The valley, in which the camp and water were situate, lay in all its enchanting loveliness at our feet, and the little natural trough in its centre, now reduced in size by distance, looked like a silver thread, or indeed it appeared more as though Titania, the queen of the fairies, had for a moment laid her magic silver wand upon the grass. The day was lovely, the sky serene and clear, and a gentle zephyrlike breeze merely agitated the atmosphere. As we sat with a lingering gaze over this delightful scene, and having seen also so many lovely spots in this chain of mountains, I was tempted to believe I had discovered regions, which might eventually support not only flocks and herds, but centres of population, each individual among whom would envy me as

being the first discoverer of the almost paradisiacal scenes, it so delighted them to view. In the afternoon we returned to the camp, and again and again wondered at the singular manner, in which the water existed here. Five hundred yards above or below it there is no sign of water; but in the intermediate space a stream gushes out of the ground, fills a splendid little trough, and gushes into the ground again-emblematic indeed of the ephemeral existence of humanity; we rise out of the dust, flash for a brief second in the light of life, and in another we are gone. We planted seeds at this spring. I called it Titania's Spring, and the creek in which it exists Moffat's Creek, after Robert Moffat, Esq., of Ravenswood, Victoria, a contributor to the fund for my expedition.

Wednesday, 10th September. The night was much warmer than the last, the thermometer not having descended below 66° at night and 56° by morning. The horses, upon being brought up to the camp this morning, displayed such abominable liveliness and flashness, that there was no catching most of them. Fortunately I just managed to secure one colt, who was the leader of the riot; the others had to be driven several times at a gallop round the camp before their exuberance had in a measure subsided. It seemed indeed, as if the fairies had been bewitching them during the night. It was consequently late when we left the Fairies' Glen; a pretty valley, running north-west, with a creek in it, was our road. Our track wound about through the most splendidly grassed valleys, mostly having a trend westerly, when at twelve miles. we saw the gum-timber of a watercourse, apparently debouching through a glen. Of course there was water there, and a channel filled with reeds, down which the current ran in never-failing streams. The spot was another of those charming gems, which exist in this chain, and I called it Glen Watson, after J. B. Watson, Esq., of Sandhurst, Victoria, another contributor to the fund for my enterprise. From a hill near this camp I discovered, that this chain had now become broken, and though it continues to run on still farther west, it seemed as though it would soon end. The Mount Olga of my former expedition now lay about 17° west of north from here, and appeared a considerable distance away. I had a great personal desire to visit it, as I had made many endeavours to do so on my former journey, but was prevented; now however I hoped no obstacle would occur, and therefore intend to travel towards it to-morrow. There was more than a mile of running water in this glen; the horses were up to their eyes in the most luxurious vegetation, and our encampment was again in a most romantic spot. Ah, why should regions so lovely be traversed so soon!

Thursday, 11th September. The thermometer last night stood at 48°, this morning at 34°. A quantity of dew fell last night, being most probably caused by the moisture in the glen, and not by atmospheric causes, as we have previously had none for some time. Not expecting to get any water in the country between here and Mount Olga, though there were some low hills in that direction, I did not leave this camp until late, so that the horses came to drink of their own accord. We then left the pretty glen, with its purling stream and reedy bed, and entered very shortly upon an entirely different country, covered with porcupine-grass. We travelled north-west to some low ridges, which we reached in seventeen miles, and passed through some small belts of thick scrub, but of no great extent. There was no water at the ridges, nor any place where it could lodge;

but the horses having so lately watered, and plenty of beautiful pea-vetch growing here, they did quite well without. I noticed to-day, for the first time upon this expedition, some of the desert-casuarina, of which I saw quantities on my former expedition.

Friday, 12th September.-We made an early start this morning, and proceeded nearly on the same course to a round pine-clad hill. The intermediate country being low ridges and good valleys, we reached the hill in nine miles. From it Mount Olga bore north, it was still a great distance away, and I was anxious to find water before reaching it, if possible, as I of course could not tell, if any existed there. From this hill I could also see, that the Ferdinand-Chain, though broken and parted in masses, still continued along to the west, and rose again into high mounts and points; but strictly speaking the two lines were separate; I therefore called the western continuation the Bowen-Range, after His Excellency the Governor of Victoria, Sir George Bowen, G.C.M.G. (called the Mann-Ranges by Mr. Goss); near the foot of this round hill I was fortunate enough to discover a small flat piece of rock, which was hardly perceptible amongst the grass; on it I saw a few dead sticks, and an old native fireplace, which excited my curiosity, and on riding up to it, found to my astonishment under the dead sticks two splendid little rock-holes or basins in the solid rock, with ample water in them for the requirements of all my horses. I have oftentimes found water in strange places, and many times when I little expected it; but this was the most surprising little treasure of all. Of course we camped here, though we had travelled but nine miles; most of that distance was covered with triodia, and there were some bits of scrub to go through. I named these singular basins Fraser's Wells, after Mr. W. Fraser, late of the Barrier-Range, and now of Wagga Wagga, a kind friend of Mr. Tietkens. Mount Olga appeared fifty miles off.

Saturday, 13th September.-The thermometer last night did not fall, below 60°, by morning it had descended to 48°; we experienced a feeling in the air of an approaching warm day; there was a good deal of scrub round the camp, and the feed was poor here, so the horses came late and consequently a late start was made. Our course was north, but a short distance east of our line some hills stood, which we deviated to, but no water existed about them. At nine miles we passed up through a stony gap, and came upon a small eucalyptus-creek on the north side, but it was dry. A great number of the fine casuarina-trees were seen to-day, but they were scattered thinly over the country, which was covered with triodia; the ground was pretty level, and we continued travelling until sundown, having travelled twenty-seven miles; there being neither water nor grass, our horses had but a miserable night.

Sunday, 14th September.-The thermometer stood at 60° last night, and 50° this morning. Making an early start, we arrived at the foot of Mount Olga in twenty-one miles. Mr. Tietkens here pointed out to me the track of a dray or waggon, also of horses and camels. I knew at once, that they must be Mr. Gosse's, but I was perfectly dumbfoundered at their appearance here; had the earth yawned at my feet, for ever separating me from this mountain, or had another of similar appearance risen suddenly before my eyes, I could not have been more astonished at the sight; for I knew Mr. Gosse had left the Telegraph-Line many hundreds of miles to the north of my starting-point; and as the line from Mount