Large tracts of burnt country had to be crossed from which clouds of dust and ashes were continually rising, blown up by “Willy-Willies” (spiral winds).  These were most deceptive, it being very hard to distinguish between them and hunting-smokes.  After one or two disappointments we were able to determine, from a distance, the nature of these clouds of black dust.  On the 22nd we turned due East towards some smokes and what appeared to be a range of hills beyond them.  The smokes, however, turned out to be dust-storms, and the range to be immense sandhills.  Here we saw the first desert oak, standing solitary sentinel on the crest of a ridge.  Around the burnt ground several old tracks were visible, some of which we followed, but with no better result than two dry rock-holes and a dry native well one mile from them.  Near the latter was an old native camp, in which we found several small, pointed sticks, so planed as to leave a bunch of shavings on the end.  I have seen similar sticks stuck up on native graves near Coolgardie, but have no idea of their proper significance.  Probably they are merely ornaments.

A line of cliffs next met our view, and to them we turned.  These were higher rocks or hills than we had seen for some time, and presented rather a remarkable appearance.  Formed of a conglomerate of sandstone and round ironstone pebbles, they stood up like a wall on the top of a long slope of easy grade, covered with gravel and loose pebbles.  At the foot lay boulders great and small, in detached heaps like so many pieces broken from a giant plum-pudding.  In the face of the cliffs were numerous holes and caves, the floors of which gave ample evidence of the presence of bats and wallabies.  Of these latter we saw several, but could not get a shot; careful exploration of these caves, on hands and knees, led to the finding of a fair-sized rock-hole, unfortunately quite dry.  I have no doubt that these wallabies, like the spinifex rats, are so constituted that water is not to them a necessity, and that the spinifex roots afford sufficient moisture to keep them alive.  We saw no traces of spinifex rats at any of the wells we found, nor did we see any water which they could reach or from which, having reached it, they could climb up again to the surface.  From the top of the cliffs an extensive view to the South and North was obtained.  But such a view!  With powerful field-glasses nothing could be seen but ridge succeeding ridge, as if the whole country had been combed with a mammoth comb.  From these points of the compass the cliffs must be visible for a considerable distance.  Their rather remarkable appearance made me think them worth naming, so they were christened “Wilson’s Cliffs,” after my old friend and partner.

The entry in my diary for the 25th would stand for many other days.  It runs:  “Most wretched sand-ridge country, ridges East and West, and timbered with very occasional stunted gums—­extensive patches of bare, burnt country with clouds of dust.  Absolutely no feed for camels—­or for any other animal for that matter.”