Finke, they
passed two or three holes containing fish about eight inches long, and
enclosed by small brush fences, apparently for the purpose of catching
fish. They also saw a lot of shields, spears, waddies, etc., which the
natives had deposited under a bush. As to the aborigines themselves,
although it was evident there were plenty of them about, they never
allowed themselves to be seen. There was an abundance of timber which Mr.
Stuart says would be well suited for electric-telegraph poles.

Mr. Stuart's journal continues as follows:

Tuesday, 5th March, The Finke. Started at 8.5 a.m., bearing 345 degrees,
for the Hugh, with Thring and Lawrence. On arriving there found the water
nearly all gone, only a little in a well dug by the natives; cleared it
out, but it took us until 12 p.m. to water the four horses. At three
miles further, we passed round a high conspicuous table hill, having a
slanting and shelving front to the south; this I have named Mount Santo,
after Philip Santo, Esquire, M.P. The country passed over to-day has been
sand hills, with spinifex, grassy plains, with mulga and other shrubs,
and occasionally low table-topped hills, composed of sand, lime, and
ironstone, also the hard whitish flinty rock; kangaroo plentiful, but
very wild. Wind south-east. The day has been very hot; horses very tired.

Wednesday, 6th March, The Hugh. Started at 8.45 a.m. on a bearing of 209
degrees. At nine miles, finding the water gone that I had seen on my last
return, I dug down to the clay, and obtained a little, but not enough for
us. Followed the creek up into the gorge, and found it very dry. Our
former tracks are still visible in the bed of the creek. No rain seems to
have fallen here since last March. I had almost given up all hopes of
finding any water, when, at seven miles, we met with a few rushes, which
revived our sinking hopes; and, at eight miles, our eyes and ears were
delighted with the sight and sound of numerous diamond birds, a sure sign
of the proximity of water. At the mouth of a side creek coming from the
James range, on the eastern side of the Hugh, found an excellent water
hole, apparently both deep and permanent. We saw a native and his lubra
at the upper end at a brush fence in the water; they appeared to be
fishing, and did not see us until I called to them. The female was the
first who left the water; she ran to the bank, took up her child, and
made for a tree, up which she climbed, pushing her