The following day, Mr. Young and I ascended Mount Finke, and put up a small pile of stones upon its highest point.  The weather, now cool and agreeable, was so different from that which I had previously experienced upon this dreadful mount.  Upon that visit the whole region was in an intense glow of heat, but now the summer heats were past; the desolate region around was enjoying for a few weeks only, a slight respite from the usual fiery temperature of the climate of this part of the world; but even now the nature of the country was so terrible and severe, the sandhills so high, and the scrub so thick, that all the new members of the party expressed their astonishment at our ever having got out of it alive.  This mountain, as before stated, is forty-five miles from Wynbring.  On the 22nd of June, just as we got in sight of the rock, some heavy showers of rain descended; it came down so fast that the camels could drink the water right at their feet, and they all got huddled up together in a mob, breaking their nose-ropes, some laying down to enable them to drink easier, as loaded camels, having a breast-rope from the saddles, cannot put their heads to the ground without hurting, and perhaps cutting, themselves.  The rain ceased for a bit, and we made off to my old camp, and got everything under canvas just as another heavy shower came down.  Of course the rock-hole was full to overflowing, and water was lying about in all directions.  During the 23rd several smart showers fell, and we were confined to our canvas habitations for nearly the whole day.

As this spot was so excellent for all kinds of animals, I gave my friends a couple of days’ rest, in the first place because they had had such poor feeding places for several nights before our arrival here, and I also wished, if possible, to meet again with the Wynbring natives, and endeavour to find out from them whether any other waters existed in this country.  Old Jimmy, when he discovered, through Tommy Oldham, what I wanted the natives for, seemed surprised and annoyed that I should attempt to get information from them while he was with me in his own territories.  He said he would take me to several waters between here and Youldeh, by a more northerly route than he had previously shown; he said that water existed at several places which he enumerated on his fingers; their names were Taloreh, Edoldeh, Cudyeh, Yanderby, Mobing, Bring, Poothraba, Pondoothy, and Youldeh.  I was very glad to hear of all these places, and hoped we should find they were situated in a more hospitable country than that through which we had formerly come.  On the 25th Mr. Young shot an emu, and we had fried steaks, which we all relished.  Saleh being a good Mussulman, was only just (if) in time to run up and cut the bird’s throat before it died, otherwise his religious scruples would have prevented him from eating any of it.  All the meat he did eat, which was smoked beef, had been killed in the orthodox Mohammedan style, either by himself or one of his co-religionists at Beltana.  It was cured and carried on purpose.  None of the natives I had formerly seen, or any others, made their appearance, and the party were disappointed by not seeing the charming young Polly, my description of whom had greatly raised their curiosity.