raised great volumes of smoke, and their strident vociferations caused a dull and buzzing sound even when out of ear-shot.  The pattering of the rain-drops became heavier, yet we kept on, hoping at every turn to see an opening which would free us from our prison-house; but night and heavier rain together came, and we were compelled to remain another night in the palmy glen.  I found a small sloping, sandy, firm piece of ground, probably the only one in the glen, a little off from the creek, having some blood-wood or red gum-trees growing upon it, and above the reach of any flood-mark—­for it is necessary to be careful in selecting a site on a watercourse, as, otherwise, in a single instant everything might be swept to destruction.  We were fortunate indeed to find such a refuge, as it was large enough for the horses to graze on, and there was some good feed upon it.  By the time we had our tarpaulins fixed, and everything under cover, the rain fell in earnest.  The tributary passed this morning was named Ellery’s Creek.  The actual distance we travelled to-day was eighteen miles; to accomplish this we travelled from morn till night.  Although the rain continued at intervals all night, no great quantity fell.  In the morning the heavens were clear towards the south, but to the north dense nimbus clouds covered the hills and darkened the sky.  Not removing the camp, I took another ramble into the hills to the east of the camp, and from the first rise I saw what I was most anxious to see, that is to say, the end, or rather the beginning of the glen, which occurred at about two miles beyond our camp.  Beyond that the Finke came winding from the north-west, but clouds obscured a distant view.  It appeared that rain must still be falling north of us, and we had to seek the shelter of our canvas home.  At midday the whole sky became overclouded, rain came slowly down, and when the night again descended heavier still was then the fall.  At an hour after daylight on the morrow the greatest volume fell, and continued for several hours.  At midday it held up sufficiently to enable me to plant some seeds of various trees, plants, vegetables, etc., given me specially by Baron von Mueller.  Among these were blue gum (tree), cucumbers, melons, culinary vegetables, white maize, prairie grass, sorghum, rye, and wattle-tree seeds, which I soaked before planting.  Although the rain lasted thirty-six hours in all, only about an inch fell.  It was with great pleasure that at last, on the 5th, we left the glen behind us, and in a couple of miles debouched upon a plain, which ran up to the foot of this line of ranges.  The horses seemed to be especially pleased to be on soft ground again.  The length of this glen is considerable, as it occupies 31 minutes of latitude.  The main bearing of it is nearly north 25 degrees west; it is the longest feature of the kind I ever traversed, being over forty miles straight, and over a hundred miles of actual travelling, and it appeared