sixteen feet deep trending north-west; at 4.40 halted in a gully in the
granite range, and obtained water by digging among the rocks.

Latitude 28 degrees 34 minutes 9 seconds; longitude 117 degrees 2
minutes.

3rd September.

Started at 8.0 a.m., steering towards the hill seen yesterday, and which
now bore 307 degrees. The country was nearly a dead level, with a few
small dry watercourses trending south-west; the soil a red loam,
producing some grass and small acacias; at 10.50 came on an extensive
flat covered with salicornia, which extended to the base of the hill, the
summit of which was reached at 12.25 p.m.; from this position the flat or
marsh appeared to extend fifteen miles to the north-east, a branch also
to the north-west, in which direction the water seemed to trend, though
the dip of the country, if any, was so slight as to render it uncertain.
To the north a range of trap hills, five to ten miles distant,
intercepted the view. Having completed observations at 2.10, steered 300
degrees along the foot of a range of trap hills; at 3.50 passed a dry
salt lake on our right, and at 5.15 bivouacked on the side of a trap
hill, among some fine oat-grass growing on calcareous tufa. From the
summit of the hill we could see salt marshes continuing in a north-west
direction for many miles; all the hills within twenty miles were of a
trap formation, and therefore gave no prospect of obtaining water, the
soil being loose and the rock full of fissures; hitherto we seldom had
found water except on or near granite rocks, which serve to collect the
rainwater of even slight showers.

Latitude 28 degrees 24 minutes 20 seconds; longitude 116 degrees 42