ees 30 minutes, when the sandstone tableland receded, and a boundless
expanse of mud plain was before us; the lines of box-trees which had
hitherto marked the channels nearly ceased, polygonum and atriplex
constituting the main feature of the vegetation.

COOPER'S CREEK.

9th June.

After toiling south-west a day and a half over this level surface to
latitude 27 degrees 50 minutes, we approached some low ridges, at the
foot of which there was a lagoon 100 yards wide, exhibiting signs of a
current during flood to the north-west; and as there was an evident
westerly trend in all the smaller channels previously crossed, it was
evident they would soon merge in Cooper's Creek. Steering
west-north-west, the several channels collected together, and soon formed
a deep watercourse, with fine reaches of water. The sandstone tableland
closed in on both sides; the soil of the intervening plain was much
firmer, but showed by the vegetation that saline nature which so often
attends the development of the upper sandstones in Australia. Grass was
abundant, and it was surprising with what rapidity the horses recovered
their strength.

BOUNDARY OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA.

12th June.

Approaching the 141st meridian, which is the boundary of the province of
South Australia, stony ridges closed in on both banks of Cooper's Creek,
forming almost a natural division, across which we followed a well-beaten
native path; and here I observed the only instance which has come under
my observation where the aborigines have taken the trouble to remove
natural obstacles from their paths. The loose stones had been cleared
from the track, and in some places piled in large heaps.

14th June.

After passing the stony ridge the valley became wider, the hills receding
suddenly, in longitude 140 degrees 30 minutes, both to the north and
south; and the whole of the country to the west seemed to consist of a
succession of low ridges of red sand and level plains of dry mud, subject
to inundation. Shortly before reaching the branch of Cooper's Creek named
by Captain Sturt Streletzki Creek, we observed the tracks of two horses,
one apparently a cart-horse, and the other a well-bred animal, but as
none of their tracks were within the last month, the rain had obliterated
them to such an extent that they could not be traced up, as they had left
the bank of the creek on the first fall of rain, as is the usual habit of
horses whose wanderings are uncontrolled. There