g; we have found this vegetable most useful; it can be
eaten as a salad, boiled as a vegetable, or cooked as a fruit. We have
also some other seeds of new flowers. The bearing from this to the cone
of stones on Hugh Mount, 233 degrees 45 minutes.

Saturday, 21st April, Gum Creek, East Side of Mount Freeling. Started at
half-past seven across the scrub to another high hill. For seven miles
the scrub is open, and the land beautifully grassed. At twelve miles from
the camp we crossed another gum creek, coming from the range; as far as I
could see it ran to the north-east. After seven miles the scrub became
much thicker. We had great difficulty in getting through, from the
quantity of dead timber, which has torn our saddle-bags and clothes to
pieces. There are a number of gum-trees, and the new tree that was found
on Captain Sturt's expedition, 1844, but mulga predominates. At fourteen
miles we struck a large gum plain, but after a short time again entered
the scrub. At about twenty-two miles met another arm of the gum plains,
with large granite rocks nearly level with the surface. We found rain
water in the holes of these rocks. At thirty-two miles crossed the sandy
bed of a large gum creek divided into a number of channels; too dark to
see any water. Four miles further on, camped on a small gum creek with a
little rain water; the creeks are running to the north-east. The soil is
of a red sandy colour: the grass most abundant throughout the whole day's
journey. Occasionally we met with a few hundred yards of spinifex. Wind
south-east. Native tracks quite fresh in the scrub and plain; we also
passed several old worleys.

Sunday, 22nd April, Small Gum Creek, under Mount Stuart, Centre of
Australia. To-day I find from my observations of the sun, 111 degrees 00
minutes 30 seconds, that I am now camped in the centre of Australia. I
have marked a tree and planted the British flag there. There is a high
mount about two miles and a half to the north-north-east. I wish it had
been in the centre; but on it to-morrow I will raise a cone of stones,
and plant the flag there, and name it Central Mount Stuart. We have been
in search of permanent water to-day, but cannot find any. I hope from the
top of Central Mount Stuart to find something good to the north-west.
Wind south. Examined a large creek; can find no surface water, but got
some by scratching in the sand. It is a large creek divided into many
channels, but they are all filled w