gave me the idea of a place that had been subjected to a long-continued drought.  At the northernmost end of the eastern line of ranges, and on the west side of them, in latitude 26 degrees 30 minutes south, longitude 141 degrees 40 minutes east, is a low detached line of range about seven miles from north to south.  On passing inside this range at its southern extremity, one enters a flat bounded to the south by high red sand hills to the west and north by the low range, and running up to the north-north-east, until it reaches the main range.  On the lower part of the flat there is no creek, but on proceeding up it, at a mile and a half there are three waterholes with a few bushes growing around them; the water was fast drying up when we were there.  There were some ducks, snipe, and pigeons about them:  the former always returned to the holes after having been disturbed, so I imagine there is not much more water in the vicinity.  In continuing up the flat, the main creek appears to be that along which the box timber grows, but the bed is sandy and quite dry.  By keeping off a little to the left, at a mile above the waterholes, one comes on the bed of another creek, with only here and there a gum tree and a few bushes.  Up this creek at a distance of three miles nearly north from the three holes, and where the creek emerges from the ranges, is a large hole well shaded by heavy box trees; it contained only a small quantity of water when we passed, but I fancy that in ordinary seasons the water would be permanent.  This creek has been much frequented by blacks at one time, but not lately.  Hundreds of hawks and a good many crows and magpies were in the trees near the waterhole.

Geographical position.—­The geographical position of the three waterholes is by account from Cooper’s Creek latitude 26 degrees 34 minutes south, longitude 140 degrees 43 minutes east.

Meteorological remarks.—­It would be rather premature for me to offer any opinion on the climate of Cooper’s Creek on so short a stay, and my other duties have prevented me from making any observations that would be worth forwarding in detail.  I may mention, however, that neither on the creek, nor during the journey up, have we experienced any extreme temperatures:  the heat, although considerably greater here than in Melbourne, as shown by a thermometer, is not felt more severely by us.  The maximum daily temperatures since our arrival on Cooper’s Creek have generally exceeded 100 degrees; the highest of all was registered on November 27th at Camp 63, when the thermometer stood at 109 degrees in the shade.  There was at that time a strong wind from the north, which felt rather warm, but had not the peculiar characteristics of a hot wind.  One of the most noticeable features in the weather has been the well-marked regularity in the course of the wind, which almost invariably blew lightly from the east or south-east soon after sunrise, went gradually round to north by two o’clock,