away.  I had a good swim in the old tarn, and proceeded, reaching the Circus early in the afternoon.  There was the solitary eagle still perched upon its rock.  The water had become greatly reduced; ten weeks and two days had elapsed since I was here; and in another fortnight it would all be gone.  If I intend doing anything towards the west it must be done at once or it will be too late.  The day was warm—­102 degrees.  A large flock of galars, a slate-coloured kind of cockatoo, and a good talking bird, and hundreds of pigeons came to water at night; but having no ammunition, we did not bring a gun.  The water was so low in the hole that the horses could not reach it, and had to be watered with a canvas bucket.  I have said previously, that at the extremity of this range there lay an ancient lake bed, but I had only been a mile or two upon it.  Further on there were indications of salt, and as we were quite out of that commodity, we rode over to try and procure some, but none existed, and we had to be satisfied with a quantity of samphire bushes and salt-bush leaves, which we took home with us, returning to Fort McKellar the following day.  I called the salt feature Lake Christopher.  We remained at the depot for a day or two, preparing for a start to the west, and cut rails, and fixed up some palisading for the fort.  I delayed entering that evidently frightful bed of sand which lay to the west, in hopes of a change, for I must admit I dreaded to attempt the western country while the weather was still so hot and oppressive.  Though the thermometer may not appear to rise extraordinarily high in this region, yet the weight and pressure of the atmosphere is sometimes almost overpowering.  Existence here is in a permanent state of languor, and I am sure the others in the party feel it more than I do, being consumed with the fire or frenzy of renown for opening unknown lands, all others have to pale their ineffectual fires before it.  No doubt, not being well fed is some cause for our feelings of lassitude.  The horses are also affected with extreme languor, as well as the men.  The thermometer to-day registered only 99 degrees.  The horses are always trying to roam away back to Sladen Water, and Mr. Tietkens and I had a walk of many miles after them to-day.  I was getting really anxious about the water at the Circus.  I scarcely dare to grapple with that western desert in such weather, yet, if I do not, I shall lose the Circus water.

Although we were near the change of the moon, I despaired of a change of weather.  I did not ask for rain, for it would be useless on the desert sands; I only wanted the atmosphere to become a little less oppressive.  I had not been round the extreme western end of the range, though we had been to it, and I thought perhaps some creek might be found to contain a good rock-hole, perhaps as far to the west, if not farther, than the Circus; on the opposite side of the range, Mr. Tietkens and Gibson, who volunteered, went to see what they