It was late before the party moved on to-day, but the road was somewhat better, and there were many intervals of open grassy plains under the hills along which we travelled, at a course of E. 17 degrees N. for twenty-five miles.  Encamping at night with tolerable grass, but without water.  There had been a considerable pool of rain water here a few days ago, but it was now nearly dried up by the sun, and I was obliged to order the horses to be watched during the night.

To-day I found a most splendid creeping plant in flower, growing in between the ranges, it was quite new to me, and very beautiful; the leaf was like that of the vetch but larger, the flower bright scarlet, with a rich purple centre, shaped like a half globe with the convex side outwards; it was winged, and something like a sweet pea in shape, the flowers hung pendent upon long slender stalks, very similar to those of sweet peas, and in the greatest profusion; altogether it was one of the prettiest and richest looking flowers I have seen in Australia.

September 23.—­Moving on over a firm road, but with much scrub and prickly grass, we travelled for fifteen miles under the hills at a course of E. 20 degrees N., encamping early in the afternoon close under them, and procuring a little water left in the hollows by the rains.  I ascended another of the heights in the Gawler range to-day, but could obtain no clear view from it, the weather being hazy.  Ridge behind ridge still appeared to rise to the north, beyond the front one under which we were travelling; and several salt lakes were seen among the hills at intervals.  The rock of which the hills were composed was now changed from a porphoritic granite to a reddish quartz, which was scattered all over the front hills in loose small fragments.  The latitude of our camp was 32 degrees 30 minutes 35 seconds S.

September 24.—­Our road was firmer to-day, over a red gritty soil of sandy loam and gravel.  The hills were still covered with quartz, but decreasing perceptibly in elevation as we advanced to the east.  At about eight miles we were lucky enough to find a puddle of rain water, and at once halted for the day to rest and refresh the horses.  Having ascended a high peak near the camp, I found I was surrounded by a mass of hills on every side; they gradually increased in elevation as they stretched to the northwest, becoming lower at a bearing of north, and quite detached to the north-east; resembling so many islands in the level waste around them.

September 25.—­Moving from our camp early we had an excellent road, and travelled rapidly for about twenty miles, nearly due east, halting for the night under a high red hill, where we found some rain water for our horses; but the grass was very scarce.  After dinner I ascended the hill near the camp and obtained a distant view of Mount Brown, and the range on the east side of Spencer’s Gulf.  To the north was one vast sea of level scrub, and in the midst of it a lake; but seemingly of no very great size.  A few elevations were seen to the south-east, of all of which I took bearings, and then descended to the camp again.  The bearing of Mount Brown, from this hill, was E. 10 degrees S.; and the latitude of the camp, under the hill, was 30 degrees 27 minutes 55 seconds S.