Sunday, 29th May, The Douglas. Not being satisfied with my hurried examination of the range, I shall make another attempt to-day, and endeavour to find water. If we do not succeed we must fall back upon the springs. Started on a course of west-north-west. Crossed the Douglas three times. It turned to the south-west, but I continued my course, over low hills and valleys, with plenty of feed, with quartz, ironstone, and granite. At fifteen miles changed a little more to the north towards a rise. The country becomes very broken and rough, but still plenty of grass. At twenty miles crossed the upper part of the gum creek that I camped on on the 25th instant. The banks are nearly perpendicular cliffs of slate. Followed it up for two miles, but no water. I continued my course for the rising ground. At six miles I found that I was getting upon high table land; so, as the sun was nearly down, I returned to the creek, where there is some green feed for the horses, as they will be without water to-night. It was after sundown before I reached the creek and camped. I have named this creek Davenport Creek, after the Honourable Mr. Davenport, M.L.C.
Monday, 30th May, Davenport Creek. Started at sunrise determined to follow down the creek, for I think there must be water somewhere before it enters the plain. The flow is to the east. At five miles came upon a beautiful spring in the bed of the creek, for which I am truly thankful. I have named this The Spring of Hope. It is a little brackish, not from salt, but soda, and runs a good stream of water. I have lived upon far worse water than this: to me it is of the utmost importance, and keeps my retreat open. I can go from here to Adelaide at any time of the year, and in any sort of season. Camped for the rest of the day. Latitude, 28 degrees 33 minutes 34 seconds.
Tuesday, 31st May, The Spring of Hope. Shoeing horses, and repairing various things.
Wednesday, 1st June, The Spring of Hope. Not being satisfied with my hurried view of the salt clay-pan that I visited on the 25th ultimo, I have sent Muller to-day to examine it for springs, before I proceed to the north-west. On a further examination of this water, I find a very large portion of magnesia in it, and also salt, but very little. Muller has returned, having been down the creek, and, as I expected, has found a small spring of very good water on the banks of the salt creek. I expect there will be others. I shall move down there to-morrow and examine it. I expect we have fallen upon the line of springs again, which I hope will continue towards the north. No rain seems to have fallen here for a long time.
Thursday, 2nd June, The Spring of Hope. Started at 9 o'clock for the springs, and arrived there in the afternoon. Travelled over a stony but very good feeding country, which became better as we approached the springs. There is a creek with a large water hole, and around the small hills are numerous springs. On the banks of the creek and round the springs an immense quantity of rushes, bulrushes, and other water-plants are growing. The quantity of land they cover is very great, amounting to several square miles. Some of the springs are choked up, others are running, though not so active as those further to the south. Round about them there is a thin crust of saltpetre, magnesia, and salt. The water of these springs is very good, but that of the creek is a little brackish, but will do very well for cattle. Some of the holes in the creek are rather salt. There is enough of good water for the largest station in the colony. Round the small hill, where I am now camped, there are twelve springs, and the water is first-rate. I have named them Hawker Springs, after G.C. Hawker, Esquire, M.L.A.* (* Now the Honourable G.C. Hawker, Speaker of the House of Assembly at Adelaide.) The hills are composed of slate, mica, quartz (resembling those of the gold country), and ironstone. Latitude, 28 degrees 24 minutes 17 seconds. One of the horses seems to be very unwell to-day; he has endeavoured to lie down two or three times during the journey, but I hope he will be better by the morning.
Friday, 3rd June, Hawker Springs. I find that the horse is too unwell to proceed. I shall give him another day, for fear I should lose him altogether. I sent Muller to see if there are any springs round the hill about six miles to the east. He states that the creek flows past that hill, and on towards other hills of the same kind. The springs continue to within half a mile of the hill, where he found two large springs running over, covered with long reeds. I do not doubt but that they still continue on towards the lake, (wherever that may be), which I intend to examine on my return.
Saturday, 4th June, Hawker Springs. This morning the horse does not look much better, but still I must push on. Started at 8 towards the highest point of the next range. At one mile struck a gum creek coming from the Davenport range, and running to the north of east; the bed sandy and grassy. At four miles another gum creek of the same description, with the gum-trees stunted. At eight miles and a half struck three creeks joining at about a quarter of a mile to the east; the centre one is gum, and the other two myall. At twelve miles changed my course to 29 degrees to examine three dark-coloured hills, where I think there will be springs. At a mile and a quarter came upon a small batch of springs round the north side of the hills in a broad grassy valley, with plenty of good water. Changed my course again to 318 degrees towards the highest point of the range. At one mile a myall and gum creek; at three miles another gum creek; at seven miles a very large and broad gum creek, spread out into numerous channels. I have not the least doubt but there is water above and below, judging from the number of tracks of natives and emus that have been up and down the creek. As this is the largest creek that I have passed, and is likely to become as good as Chambers Creek, which it very much resembles, I have called it The Blyth, after the Honourable Arthur Blyth. I have named the range to the east The Hanson Range, after the Honourable R.D. Hanson. At nine miles and a half attained the highest point of the range, and built a cone of stones thereon, and have named it Mount Younghusband, after the Honourable William Younghusband. From it I had a good view of the surrounding country, which seems to be plentifully supplied with springs. To the north-west is another isolated range like this; I should think it is about seven hundred feet high. I have named it Mount Kingston, after the Honourable G.S. Kingston, Speaker of the House of Assembly. To the north the broken ranges continue, and in the distance there is a long flat-topped range, broken in some places. It seems to be closing upon my course on the last bearing. I cannot judge of the distance, the mirage being so great. Descended from the mount, and proceeded on a bearing of 336 degrees towards a spring that I saw from the top. As we were rounding the mount to the east, we found eight springs before we halted, in a distance of three miles; some were running, and others were choked up, but soft and boggy. At dark arrived at another batch of springs—not those that I intended going to—they are on the banks of a small creek, close to and coming from the range; they are not so active as the others, and taste a little brackish; they are coated with soda, saltpetre, and salt. The horse seems to be very ill; he has again attempted to lie down two or three times. I cannot imagine what is the matter with him.
Sunday, 5th June, Mount Younghusband. I must remain where I am to-day; the horse is so bad that he cannot proceed; he neither eats nor drinks. I have sent Muller to the west side of the mount to see the extent of the springs; they are on the banks of a creek which has brackish water in it, large and deep, and a great quantity of rushes. The water comes from the limestone banks which are covered with soda. He rode round the mount: it is all the same, and the feed is splendid right to the top of the mount. It is a wonderful country, scarcely to be believed. I have had one of the springs opened to-day, and the water to-night tastes excellent; it could not be better. Native tracks about; I am surprised we see none of them; we are passing old fires constantly. Latitude, 28 degrees 1 minute 32 seconds.
Monday, 6th June, Mount Younghusband. The horses being some distance off, and my horse requiring a shoe, I was unable to make a start until 10 o'clock, on a bearing of 307 degrees 45 minutes, passing Mount Kingston on the south-west side. At three-quarters of a mile came upon the springs that I intended to have camped at on Saturday night: they are flowing in a stream strong enough to supply any number of cattle. I named them The Barrow Springs, after J.U. Barrow, Esquire, M.L.A. At four miles and a half struck a large broad valley, in which are the largest springs I have yet seen. The flow of water from them is immense, coming in numerous streams, and the country around is beautiful. I have named these The Freeling Springs, after the Honourable Major Freeling, M.L.C. After leaving the springs I ascended a rough stony hill, to have a view of them, but I could not see them all, their extent is so great. They extend to under the Kingston range, and how much further I do not know. From this point I changed my course to 322 degrees. I can just see the top of a distant range, for which I will go on that bearing. At one mile and a half crossed a broad gum salt creek, coming from the west, with a quantity of salt water in it. I have named this Peake Creek, after C.J. Peake, Esquire, M.L.A. After crossing this, we travelled over low rises with quartz, ironstone, and slate; the quartz predominating. Herrgott and Muller, who have both been long in the Victoria gold diggings, say that they have not seen any place that resembles those diggings so much as this does. The country seems as if it were covered with snow, from the quantity of quartz. At eleven miles passed a brackish water creek and salt lagoon; searched for springs but could find none, although reeds and rushes abound, but no water on the surface. I thence proceeded three-quarters of a mile, and struck a gum creek with a number of channels and very long water holes, but the water is brackish; it might do for cattle. This I have named The Neale, after J.B. Neale, Esquire, M.L.A. I think by following it down, there will be a large quantity of water, and good, and that it will become a very important creek. No person could wish for a better country for feed than that we have passed over to-day; it resembles the country about Chambers Creek.
Tuesday, 7th June, The Neale. At 8 o'clock started on a bearing of 180 degrees for the northernmost of the isolated hills, to see if there are springs round it. At four miles ascended it, but could see no springs. This I have named Mount Harvey, after J. Harvey, Esquire, M.L.A. from Mount Kingston it bears 47 degrees 45 minutes. Thence I started for the other mount, which I have named Mount Dutton, after the Honourable F.T. Dutton; four miles and a half to the top. The Hanson range is closing upon my course, and I think to-morrow's journey will cut it. On the north side are a few springs, some of them a little brackish, and some very good. We cleared out one, and found it very good. Here I camped for the night. From south-west to north-west it seems to be an immense plain, stony on the surface, with salt bush and grass. Mount Dutton is well grassed to the top; it is composed of the same rock as the others.