ed soil, with mulga bushes, and for seven
miles was as fine a grassed country as any one would wish to look at; it
could be cut with a scythe. Dip of the country to the east, sand hills to
the west; afterwards it became alternate sand hills and grassy plains,
mulga, mallee, and black oak. From the top of one of the sand hills, I
can see a range which our line will cut; I shall make to the foot of that
to-night, and I expect I shall find a creek with water there. Proceeded
through another long plain sloping towards the creek, and covered with
grass. At about one mile from the creek we again met with sand hills and
spinifex, which continued to it. Arrived and camped; found water. It is
very broad, with a sandy bottom, which will not retain water long;
beautiful grass on both banks. Wind east, and cool.

Sunday, 8th April, The Hugh Gum Creek. I have named this creek the Hugh,
and the range James Range. It is scrubby on this side and is not
flat-topped as all the others have been, which indicates a change of
country. On the other side the bearing is nearly east and west. Examined
the creek, but cannot find sufficient water to depend upon for any length
of time; the gum-trees are large. Numerous parrots, black cockatoos, and
other birds. Wind east; very cold during the night.

Monday, 9th April, The Hugh Gum Creek. Started for the highest point of
the James range. At four miles arrived on the top, through a very thick
scrub of mulga; the range is composed of soft red sandstone, long blocks
of it lying on the side. To the east, apparently red sand hills, beyond
which are seen the tops of other hills to the north-east. On the
north-west the view is intercepted by a high, broken range, with two very
remarkable bluffs about the centre. I shall direct my course to the east
bluff, which is apparently the higher of the two. In the intermediate
country are three lower ranges, between which are flats of green grass,
and red sand hills. To the west are grassy flats next to the creek;
beyond these are seen the tops of distant ranges and broken hills; at
about six miles the Hugh seems to turn more to the north, towards a very
rough range of red sandstone. We then descended into a grassy flat with a
few gum-trees. We have had a very great difficulty in crossing the range,
and now I am again stopped by another low range of the same description,
which is nearly perpendicular--huge masses of red sandstone on its side,
and in the valley a nu