The
country passed was of a worthless character, and so much impregnated with
salt that the surface of the ground is often covered with a thin crust of
salt.

Latitude by e Argus 20 degrees 10 minutes 40 seconds.

5th March.

Started from the camp at 5.45 a.m., and steered south-south-east through
the acacia wood to the lake, and then south by east across the dry bed of
the lake towards a break in the trees on the southern side. Here we found
a creek joining the lake from the south-west, in which there were some
shallow pools. We then steered east, to intersect any channel by which
the waters of the lake might flow to the south or south-east, and passing
through a wood of acacia entered the sandy desert. As some low rocky
hills were visible to the east we steered for them. At 2.10 halted half a
mile from the hills, and then ascended them on foot. They were very
barren and rocky, scarcely eighty feet above the plain, formed of
sandstone, the strata horizontal. From the summit of the hill nothing was
visible but one unbounded waste of sandy ridges and low rocky hillocks,
which lay to the south-east of the hill. All was one impenetrable desert,
as the flat and sandy surface, which could absorb the waters of the
creek, was not likely to originate watercourses. Descending the hill,
which I named Mount Wilson, after the geologist attached to the
expedition, we returned towards the creek at the south end of the lake,
reaching it at 9.30.

6th March.

As the day was extremely hot and the horses required rest and food, we
remained at the camp. Ducks were numerous in some of the pools, but so
wild that only two were shot. The early part of the day was clear, with a
hot strong breeze varying from west to south-east. At 1 p.m. there was a
heavy thunder-squall from the south-east, which swept a cloud of salt and
sand from the dry surface of the lake. The squall was followed by a
slight shower.

Latitude by Canopus 20 degrees 16 minutes 22 seconds.

DRY BEDS OF SALT LAKES.

7th March.

As I had frequently observed that in the dry channels of creeks
traversing very level country a heavy shower in the lower part of its
course often causes a strong current of water to rush up the stream-bed
and leave flood marks, which would mislead a person examining them in the
dry season, it seemed probable that this must be the case with the creek
entering the salt lake at its south-west angle, as it might be the outlet
of the lake when