interesting paper on coal and lignite. There was a good attendance of the
members of the Society, and the Vice-president (the Hon. J. G. H. Amherst)
presided.

Mr. BERNARD WOODWARD said:
The consideration of coal may be taken up from various points of view, both scientific and practical, but this evening we are chiefly interested in the former, and will endeavour to review what geology, mineralogy, palaeontology and chemistry can teach us on the subject. The name coal, spelt cole, until a comparatively recent period, is derived from the root col, or kull, meaning fuel, and is common, to all the languages comprised in the Teutonic group of the Indo European family of languages.

GEOLOGY.

As a matter of custom the term coal is applied to almost every kind of
solid mineral fuel, but by geologists it is used specially to designate
those mineralized plant remains that occur in the upper series of the
Palaeozoic rocks known as the carboniferous system, because seams of coal
form one of its distinguishing characteristics in most parts of the world.

Seams of coal also occur in the Old Red Sandstones, the Permian and the
Triassic series. While to those coals found in Mesozoic rocks the term
lignite or brown coal is applied. These occur in both the Jurssic [sic]
and the Cretaceous epochs, but more notably in the latter, in which seams
over six feet in thickness are worked in Germany.

The New Zealand and Californian coals are of this age.The brown coals of Germany are chiefly of Tertiary age (Oligocene). In Greenland the latest Arctic Expedition discovered a bed of coal of Miocene which so recently although it is as black and lustrous as the Palaeozoic fuels.

The peat that is still in process of formation in the bogs of Ireland, may be described as a poor kind of coal that only requires subjecting to heavy pressure to produce a fuel equal in value to many of the lignites, an event that may occur by ordinary natural causes in the course of time. Thus we see that nature has provided us with a vast number of beds of fuel extending from the Devonian Age up to the present time; and these vary in strucure [sic] and appearance from the peat and the soft and earthy peat coals the paper coals occurring in thin yellow grey layers like compressed leaves of paper, to those lignites having a distinctly woody appearance, and hence termed “wood” or “board coal,” and to others as hard and black as true coal and known as “stone” coal, so that it is impossible to tell by simple inspection whether some of these hard black fuels be true coal or merely superior lignite, some of the latter being far superior as fuels to many of the poorer coals.

Consequently difficulties arise as to the exact definition of coal, the engineer, the manufacturer, the merchant, being only interested in these fuels as far as their economic value is concerned, whilst the geologist classifies them according to their derivation, which led to some curious evidence being brought forward in the remarkable case which was tried in 1853, at Edinburgh, before the Lord Chief Justice and a special jury to settle the question, What it] coal?

The owner of an estate had granted a lease of the whole coal contained in it. In the course of working, the lessees extracted a combustible mineral of great value as a source of coal-gas, and they realized a large profit by the sale of it as gas-coal. The lessor then denied that the mineral in question was coal, and disputed the right of the lessees to work it. At the trial there was a great array of scientific men, including chemists, botanists, geologists, and microscopists ; and of practical gas engineers, coal viewers and others there were not a few. On the one side it was maintained that the mineral was coal, and on the other that it was a bituminous schist.

The evidence, as might be supposed, was most conflicting. The judge, accordingly, ignored the scientific evidence altogether, and summed up as follows ;—“The question for you to consider is not one of motives, but what is the mineral ? Is it coal in the language of th[ose] persons who deal and treat with that matter, and in the ordinary language of Scotland ? Because, to find a scientific definition of coal after what has been brought to light within the last five days, is out of the question. But is it coal in the common use of that word as it must be understood to be used in language that does not profess to be the purest science, but in the ordinary aceptation [sic] of business transactions reduced to writing ? Is it coal in that sense ? That is the question for you to solve.”

The jury found that it was coal. Since this trial the mineral has been pronounced not to be coal by the authorities of Russia, who accordingly have directed it not to be entered by the Custom-house officers as coal.

PALAEONTOLOGY.

As we have before said the geologist calls that true coal which is of carboniferous age, and to determine this point he has to call in the aid of the palaeontologist because the age of rocks is determined by the fossil remains of plants and animals found in them; for a certain order of appearance characterises these organic remains, each great group of rocks is marked by its own special types of life, and these types can be recognised, and the rocks in which they occur can be correllated, even in distant countries, where no other means of comparison is available.

In the Devonian system, only algae and other cryptogams with a few cycads and conifers are found. In the Carboniferous ferns attained a special development, as did certain lycopodiaceae, known as sigillaria and lepidodendra, these reaching 60 to 100 feet in height, with a diameter of 40 inches, while their modem representatives the club-mosses rarely exceed 8 or 10 inches in height. Gigantic equisetaceae known as calamites were equally luxuriant. True coal consists of the remains of these plants.

In the Permian system palms first appear. In the Secondary or Mesozoic age, the forms characteristic of the palaeozoic beds, sigillarae, lepidodendra and asterophyllites (ferns) disappear; and in the Jurassic times the prevalent forms in the forests were cycads, and with these were associated numerous conifers related in form to our arancarias and thujas, with an undergrowth of ferns and fleshy fungi.

In the later Oolitic times the earlier forms of cycads and ferns disappear, and are replaced by those more nearly related to those of the present time.

In the Cretaceous system the dicotyledonous trees appear, being represented by juglandites and ac[c]rites, related to our walnuts and maples, also alders and hornbeams and shrubs allied to our willows, while the cycads are much diminished in numbers.

In the Kainozoic or Tertiary strata the flora approaches still more closely to the present, for the brown coals of Germany of this age are composed almost entirely of the remains of conifers, although oaks, beeches, birches, alders and willows have assisted in the composition.

Peat, the formation of which is now going on, is composed chiefly of bog-mos [sic], Sphagnum palustre, which has the curious property of growing on upwards while the stem decays. Many of the plants have been beautifully preserved in the shales associated with the various coal measures, its can be seen in the collections exhibited in our Geological Museum, while microscopic sections still further help to elucidate the mystery of the composition of the coals, for even when they have been so much altered that the stems and leaves are represented by nothing but a structureless mass of black carbonaceous matter, there are found diffused through this a multitude of minute resinoid yellowish brown granules, which represent the spores of the gigantic Lycopodiaceae of the carboniferous flora. The of course do not occur in the lignites, which generally show a true woody structure under the microscope.

Although for want of time I have only referred to the flora, Yet in the identification of strata the fanna [sic] is still more important, because more numerous, and I would call the attention of members to the collection of the British carboniferous fossils in the Geological Museum, and ask them to compare them with those from the Irwin district, when they will be speedily convinced that that is truly of Carboniferous age.

MINERALOGY.

Considered from a mineralogical point of view, coal is placed in the hydro-
carbon group, along with petroleum, the wax-like parrafin series, amber,
the mineral resins, asphalt, &c., all of which are believed to be of
organic origin, although so much altered as to have lost all trace of
organic structure, as is the case with albertite—a brilliant jet black
hydro-carbon found in the lower Carboniferous rocks of Nova Scotia—which
is very valuable for gas-making, but only occurring in irregular fissures
cannot be regarded as a coal. The chief varieties ties of coal
are—firstly, anthracite, which contains 80 to 95 per cent. of carbon, but
graduates into the next variety, bituminous coal, which contains from 73
to 90 per cent. of carbon, and is divided into caking and non-caking, the
latter approaching most nearly to anthracite in composition, and being
also termed free-burning or steam coal, according to the purposes for
which it is used ; secondly we have cannel coal, the name being corrupted
from candle, because a because a splinter can be lighted and will burn
with a flame. It differs very little in composition from some of the
bituminous coals, but yields on destructive distillation large quantities
of gas and oils, both burning and lubricating ; and lastly, there is
torbanite, an earthy variety of cannel that yields large quantities of gas
and oil, but leaves an ash almost at bulky as itself. This was the subject
of the 1853 law-suit above mentioned. Then come the lignites or brown
coal, of which jet is a variety.

CHEMISTRY.

In the next place we will see what light chemistry can throw upon our
subject. Coals may be analysed to show actual per centages of carbon,
hydrogen, oxygen (these two apart from the amount contained in the water
which would have been previously been driven off), nitrogen, sulphur, and
ash, and the ash may be separately analysed, as is done to ascertain if it
contain anything that will interfere in metallurgical operations. Analyses
do not always throw much light upon the economic value and uses of a coal,
for a good deal depends upon the way in which the molecules arranged, for,
as before mentioned, some bituminous coals yield much more oil than others
of almost identical chemical composition, their constitution being
evidently widely different. In Lignites the amount of carbon varies from
49 to 75 per cent., hydrogen from 3.79 to 5.63, nitrogen from 0.57 to1.34,
sulphur from 0.49 to 4.59, ash from 1.83 to 19.34, water from 5.90 to
49.50, the specific gravity from 1.13 to 1.41. In coals the carbon varies
from 70 to 95 per cent., hydrogen 4.65 to 6.00, nitrogen 1.49 to 2.65,
sulphur 0.55 to 1.51, ash 0.79 to 4, water 1.35 to 3.50, and the specific
gravity from 1.25 to1.46. From these figures we see that coals [sic]
contains more carbon and hydrogen and less nitrogen than lignite, but the
latter contains much more water and generally more ash. The assay method
of estimating fuels is of more practical value, giving the amount of
water, ash, coke, and volatile hydro-carbons. Coals give from 50 to 90 per
cent. of coke, and from 8 to 33 per cent. of gas, except in the case of
some of the superior cannel coals which give up to 66 per cent. of
volatile matter. Lignites give from 30 to 63 per cent. of coke from 15 to
36 per cent. Gas.

CONCLUSIONS.

To sum up, it is impossible to distinguish coal from lignite by external
appearance, or by chemical analysis the superior lignites being better
fuels than some of the inferior coals. The lignites mostly contain much
more water than coal, and while the latter may be dried it is useless to
perform that operation on lignites for they re-absorb water from the
atmosphere almost to the extent of that driven off. While only some coals
are non-caking, all lignites are and so nearly valueless for gas-making as
the coke being left in powder has no commercial value. Lignites are often
valuable fuels, and are largely used in all parts of the world. In this
colony there are many beds of lignite in the southern districts, some of
which like the Flybrook and Fitzgerald are so friable that they are never
likely to be of much commercial value, but the Collie will be most useful
for household purposes, locomotives, smelting works, &c., though it cannot
be economically employed in gas making, as it does not cake, and so does
not give coke of any value, nor will it not be accepted by mail steamers
on account of the large amount of water it contains, necessitating the
carrying not only of the additional ten per cent. of useless water but
enough extra fuel to drive that off. It is hard and travels well, and so
will certainly be a source of great profit. Our great hope, however, of
finding good steam and gas coal lies in the districts extending from the
Irwin to Kimberley, where the Carboniferous formation is so largely
developed as stated in the  reports of the Government Geologist.

The GOVERNMENT GEOLOGIST (Mr. Harry Page Woodward) gave an interesting description of the different formations of coal in this colony. The collie coal resembled very closely lignites, and he put it down as Mesozoic coal. certainly not the coal of the Carboniferous Age, and as it was generally decided that anything that would sell in the market was coal he had called it coal.

There were very large seams there, and extended a great depth. The coal was a coal that would travel. But at present the colony had no great need for coal, as, if the coastal steamers used it, and the railways used it, the total amount they would require would not keep one mine going. As far as the prospects for coal in this colony were concerned, he considered the colony had very fine prospects indeed, for the Carboniferous rocks outcropped in many places between the Irwin and Wyndham, in fact they were more largely developed than in any other part of the world.

Mr. R. WYNNE said that about a year and a half ago a gentleman visited this colony who was an expert in coal, and he took the opportunity of showing this visitor a specimen of the coal from Fly Brook. The gentleman in question immediately pronounced it to be lignite and that it was of similar quality as the lignite used at the present time throughout New Zealand. It was, he said, bound to be very valuable for fuel. It was of much more recent formation than the other coal, and possibly the other coal might be found underneath at a greater distance.

The GOVERNMENT GEOLOGIST said that it was very often thought by the public on seeing lignite that it was an indication of coal. This was a mistake as lignite had nothing to do with coal, as the lignite rested on very old crystaline rocks, rocks of an age beyond the Palaeozoic rocks.

Dr. JAMESON proposed a vote of thanks to Mr. Woodward for his interesting paper. He thought the question he had gone into was one full of interestat the present time. He had shown them the great complexity of the subject and the difficulty of forming a true opinion. Perhaps it would be better to leave the matter to thoroughly scientific men, and not to experts. It seemed a strange thing that they should apply, as on a recent occasion, to a gentleman from the other colonies for an opinion on the coal, when they had men of a scientific education here.

Mr. POOLE seconded the motion which was carried unanimously.

Mr. WOODWARD said he had had some conversation with Mr. Bond with regard to the Irwin coal, who told him he was going to continue boring and prospecting in spite of any adverse report.

The business of the evening was conc[luded] by the notice that at the next meeting [the] Government Geologist would give a pap[er on] gold....

3. From David Starr Jordan, Stanford University, California, (9 January, 1917, asking whether the list of a tank of fishes sent by Carl L. Hubbs had been prepaid. 1 p.
4. List of specimens for exchange to the United States National Museum, 18 January, 1917, details of Mammals, Birds, Reptiles & Batrachians offered. 3 p.
5.  From C. E. Shepherd c/0 Miss Shepherd, 18 Newton Rd., Bayswater, London, 25 January, 1917, details of Otoliths from the Northern Territory may belong to the Arius genus of the Siluridae. 12 p.
6. From Glauert to the United States National Museum, Washington, 12 January, 1917, received all your specimens, sent all requested except Pseudochirus occidentalis and Pyrrholaemus brunneus. 2p.
7. From Ronald Hamlyn-Harris, Queensland Museum, 13 February, 1917, offering to exchange specimens of Queensland fish. 1 p.
8. From D. Starr Jordan, Leland-Stanford Jnr., University, California, 5 March, 1917, collection of fish has been received, thanks, freight charges. 1 p.
9. To J. S. Battye from G. S. Clark, Durlacher Street, Geraldton, 8 March, 1917, returning a collection jar in a case Mr Alexander sent, being transferred to Midland Junction, has collected beetles which he wants to compare to those in M1useum, also hermit crabs' shells. 2 p.
10. To Battye from G. S. Clark, 54 Jewell Street, East Perth, 2 April, 1917, Glauert showed collection of beetles, Clark offering exchanges and books. Note by Alexander, has seen Clark personally. 2 p.
11. From Alexander to Joseph Cooke Verco, 52 North Terrace, Adelaide, 24 April, 1917, on return to W.A. found boxes of S.A. shells and request for exchanges to send. 1 p.
12. To Alexander from Henry K. Coale, Ornithological Collection, Highland Park, Illinois, 25 April, 1917, asking for Australian birds. 1 p.
13. From Glauert to H. K. Coale, Highland Park, Illinois, 30 April, 1917, sending box of 70 Australian birds' skins in exchange for specimens sent last July. 1 p.
14. List of birds' skins sent to Harry K. Coale, Highland Park, Illinois, April, 1917, 3 p.
15. From Edgar R. Waite, Museum of South Australia, 25 May, 1917, received skins, via Alexander, in exchange for a selection of their duplicates. 1 p.
16. From Edgar R. Waite, Museum of South Australia, 15 June, 1917, sending in exchange specimens : Petrogale xanthopus, Phascogale, Cast Echenels australis, Dasyurioides byrnei. 1 p.
17. From Henry Kelso Coale, Highland Park, Illinois, 5 July, 1917, interested in future dealing with desiderata and pamphlets on Australian birds. 1 p.
18. From H. L. White, Belltrees, Scone, 20 July, 1917, received via Alexander 2 skins of hydrochelidon leucoptera. 1 p.
19. To H. K. Coale, Highland Park, Chicago, 20 August, 1917, Senate recognises status of institution. 1 p.
20. To H. K. Coale, Highland Park, Illinois, U.S.A., 16 October, 1917, case of birds sent 19th July, per S.S. Sierra. 1 p.
21. From John Comstock, Southwest Museum, Marmion Way, Los Angeles, California, 3 September, 1917, offering exchanges of diurnal Lepidoptera for Australian butterflies. 1 p.
22. From A. J. Williamson, Bank of Victoria, Dunolly to curator, 25 September, 1917, 210 miles east of Kalgoorlie, pudding stone or porphyry, brown, blue and yellow, want a good sample, also some banded carbonate of lime from basalt ; offering 3 different forms of molybdenite from Mt. Moliagul, has donated many stone Aboriginal specimens. 2 p.
23. To Professor W. G. Woolnough, University, Perth, 18 October, 1917, an generous enquirer seeks specimens of a kind of porphyry about 210 miles east of Kalgoorlie and banded carbonate of lime in basalt ; no specimens in museum's collection ; offering samples of 3 different molybdenum stone from Victoria. 1 p.
24. To Woodward from R. Rathbun, Smithsonian Museum, Washington, 19 October, 1917, requesting specimens of reptiles, batrachians and native rodents - Hydromys, offering in exchange teeth from fossil Elephas etc. 1 p.
25. From W. G. Woolnough, Geology, University, 22 October, 1917, regrets unable to supply geological specimens yet, suggest S.F.C. Cook, Palace Hotel, Kalgoorlie, who has collections from Transcontinental Line, may supply ; we would be very grateful for molybdenite specimens. 1 p.
26. To John Comstock, College of Physicians, 321 Hill St., Los Angeles, 5 November, 1917, unable to arrange exchanges as Keeper of Biology has not yet returned and Scientific Keeper has enlisted for active service in the war. 1 p.
27. To A. J. Williamson, Bank of Victoria, Dunolly, Vic., 16 November, 1917, sending specimen of porphyry, as large as possible, from Transcontinental Railway, but we have no specimens of the banded carbonate of lime from Basalt yet, we would be very grateful for specimens of molybdenite for the Museum and the University. 1 p.
28. From A. J. Williamson, Bank of Victoria, Dunolly, 13 November, 1917, thanking for sending porphyry specimen, sending molybdenite specimens from Mt. Moliagul, Vic., he would like epidote, covellite and fuchsite. 2 p.
29. To U. S. National Museum, Washington, 29 November, 1917, unable to continue services as staff not available yet. 1 .
30. To A. J. Williamson, Bank of Victoria, Dunolly, Victoria, 19 January, 1918, sent 2 specimens, no Covellite, thanking for specimens of molybdenite. 1 p.
31. To J. Comstock, College of Physicians & Surgeons, 381 Hill Street, Los Angeles, 4 April, 1018, no duplicates of few local butterfly species, no duplicates available, suggest G. A. Waterhouse, Bull's Chambers, Moore St., Sydney, a leading authority. 1 p.
32. From Charles E. Ineson, Dampier Tce, Broome, 11 March, 1918, 11 March, 1918, seeking cork slips for insect collecting boards. 1p.
33.To C. E. Ineson, Dampier Terrace, Broome, 10 April, 1918, sending 6 sheets hoping to receive duplicate insects from Kimberley area, welcome exchanges. 1 p.
34. From Gregory M. Mathews, Foulis Court, Fair Oak, Hants., 9 May, 1918, would like to exchange Amytornis housei for Malurus leucopterus, m & f, under Mr. Carter's name, please send map of W.A. showing rainfall, send via America. 2 p.
35. To Gregory M. Mathews, Foulis Court, Fair Oak, Hants., 20 July, 1918, refusing to send A. housei, sending map showing rainfall.2p.
36. From Gregory M. Mathews, Foulis Court, Fair Oak, Hants, 7 October, 1918, re Malurus leucopterus, the ones on Perth in 1914 were blue and white birds but M. leucopterus is black and white, the ones mounted that Carter got from Dirk Hartog Island. 2 p.
37. From A. J. Williamson, Bank of Victoria, Dunolly, 23 October, 1918, sent molybdenite from New England and Kingsgate, graphite from Goldsborough, Valona(Wolfram) from New England.2 p
38. From G. Pitt Morison to A. J. Williamson, Bank of Victoria, Dunolly, 4 November, 1918, thanking for minerals received, regret minerals requested for exchange not yet available, 1 p.
39. Gerrit Smith Miller, Jr. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, 21 November, 1918, need specimen of Ornithorhynchus, offer Orolestes of Caenolestidae. 1 p.
40. From Edgar R. Waite, Museum of South Australia, asking for duplicates of the Black and white Wren (Malurus edouardi Campbell) from Barrow Island and M. leucopterus (quoy and Gaim) from Dirk Hartog Island or lend us a pair or specimens for an examination by F. R. Zietz. 1 p.
41. From E. C. Shepherd of Messrs. Child & Co, 1 Fleet Street, London, 5 December, 1918, otolites collector, asking for details of Odax Callyodon also Lepidopus candatus, lists of fish. 9 p.
42. To General Secretary, Museum of South Australia, 12 December, 1918, unable to send Malurus
 specimens collected by Tom Carter until Gregory Mathew's consent. Lawson Whitlock, Tudor via Albany may have collected specimens. 1 p.
43. From George E. Mason, Chelsea, London, 13 January, 1919, requesting perfect skin of an Emu, Dromaius innovatus, of W. A., adult, young, in exchange for other bird skins e.g. N.Z. now extinct Huia (Heteralocha acutirostris). 2 p. 
44. To A. J. Williamson, Bank of Victoria, Dunolly, Vic., 22 January, 1919, unable to supply a natural cube of gold as requested, Keeper of Geology away on Active Service. 1 p.  
45. To G. E. Mason, 29 Park Walk, Chelsea, London, 10 April, 1919, W. A. emu specimen as requested is the same Australian emu, we can supply 2 specimens on receipt of the Huias (Heteralochia acutirostris) m. and f. mentioned, if more specimens required we would like to receive either Xenicus longipes, X. gilviventris, Traversia lyalli, or Acanthidositta chloris from New Zealand. If you have none of these, specimens of Cinclus aquaticus or Upups epops. 2 p.
46. From A. J. Williamson, Bank of Victoria, Dunolly, 30 April, 1919, don't forget me when geologist returns. 1 p.
47. Report of Trustees meeting for year ending 30 June, 1918. 2 p.
48. To Rev. Dexter Allen, Singapore, 23 May, 1919, W. Kingsmill informed me you wish to exchange insect specimens, we would supply local species in exchange for Malayan forms, must be pinned specimens, majority small. 1 p.
49. From H. L. White, Belltrees, Scone, 3 February, 1919, offering a skin specimen of Atrichiornis rufescens (Rufous scrub bird). 1 p.
50. To Alexander from H. L. White, Belltrees, Scone, 23 April, 1919, Malurus lamberti, W. A. Whitlock's identification of M. lamberti occidentalis correct, will send Whitlock to Dirk Hartog to check on Amytornis puzzle ; Atrichia clamosa at Melbourne Museum not W. A. 1 p.
51. From Alexander to J. A. Kershaw, National Museum, Melbourne, 13 May, 1919, H. L. White recently presented to us Atrichornis rufescens, we have no A. clamosa, now extinct, if you are able to send us one from your collection of equal value to exchange. 1 p.
52. From Alexander to H. L. White, Belltrees, Scone, 16 July, 1919, we are unable to obtain a specimen of Atrichiornis clamosa from Melbourne, not even for a Macropus bernardus from Northern Territory. 1 p.
53. To Alexander from Director, Melbourne Museum, 3 July, 1919, regret unable to supply Atrichiornis clamosa as our examples are fixed in special displays. 1 p.
54. To E. R. Waite, S. A. Museum, Adelaide, 16 July, 1919, thanks for your paper on Typhlops and the specimen of Ascopharynx cervinus for which we can offer an exchange. 1 p.
55. From Alexander to C. E. Shepherd, c/o Messrs. Child & Co, 1 Fleet St., London, 24 July, 1919, Glauert still absent , I have recently returned to the Museum, received otoliths in 1916, sent 3 otoliths from Anthony Lagoon to be named, keep 1 example and return 2 to us. The local fish specimens mentioned, Odax, Siphonognathus not often caught by fishermen, if we get any in time to put in spirit with intestines attached, Callyodon north, Lepidopus caudtus never , Cyttus australia, Monocentris gloria-maris deep sea fish; list of fish available commercially. 3 p.
56. To A. J. Campbell, Royal Australasian Ornithologists' Union, Temple Court, Melbourne,15 May, 1919, Mathews' vol. IV in hand, am listing species which we can offer. T. Carter still in Perth. 1 p.
57. To Alexander from  A. J. Campbell, Broughton Rd., Surrey Hills, Vic. 20 June, 1919, only Platycercus haventris pair available for exchange, "Perchers" possibles written up. 2 p.
58. To A. J. Campbell, Royal Australian Ornithologists' Union, Temple Court, Melbourne, 1 July, 1919, revised lists of Coraciform and Cuculine birds, duplicates and desired specimens. 2 p.
59. To Alexander from A. J. Campbell, Broughton Road, Surrey Hills, Vic., 31 July, 1919, we have none of your desired specimens except for the Spine-tailed Swift (Chaetura caudacuta) or (Hirundapus caudacutus), saving you a skin. 1 p.
60. To C. E. Lord, Tasmanian Museum, Hobart, 4 July, 1919, from Alexander has list of Tasmanian Mammals Chalinolobus morio and C. gouldi also in W.A., some found in Tasmania but not in W.A., desired specimens, exchanges, listed. 2 p.
61. To Alexander from Clive E. Lord, Tasmanian Museum, Hobart, 22 July, 1919, sending copy of our notes, also paper on Tas. Cetacea, revising stored specimens, will advise arrangements. 1 p.
62. To C. E. Lord, Tasmanian Museum, Hobart, 7 August, 1919, exchange characteristic W. A. mammals for Tasmanian
  mammals, thanks for your paper on Ziphius cavirostris, can lend Danish paper on whales by Herluf Winge. 2 p.
63. From A. J. Williamson, Bank of Victoria, Dunolly, 15 July, 1919, what can you give in exchange for the mineral specimens, sending very rare rock samples would like a natural cube of gold. 1 p.
64. To A. J. Williamson, Bank of Victoria, Dunolly, 25 August, 1919, waiting for geologist to return from England. 1 p.
65. To C. E. Lord, Tasmanian Museum, Hobart, 13 August, 1919, thanking for paper on Mammals of Tasmania with your studies of Cetacea etc. 1 p.
66. From A. J. Williamson, Bank of Victoria, Dunolly, Vic., 7 August, 1919, waiting for returns for all the specimens he sent to the geologist. 1 p.


 ...

PARTICULARS FROM MR A. ARGLES.

We have received from Mr A. Argles, an account of some of his travels and
experiences in the Nor’ West, accompanied by a description of the
geological character of the country he passed over.  Mr Argles has the
reputation of possessing considerable experience as a mining expert, and
has, we are informed, reported on many of the most important mines in the
other colonies.  Since he came to Western Australia he has acquired
several mining properties in the Nor'-West, the most important being the
Martin and Carrington claim at Mallina.  This he has worked at his own
expense for some time, having expended a considerable sum in placing
machinery on the ground.  The results of recent crushings have proved so
good that he intends proceeding to Sydney immediately, with a view, as we
stated recently, to floating the concern into a company.  Particulars of
the mine and its apparent prospects will be found later on in this article.

Mr Argles landed at Cossack in January of this year, and after a day or
two's rest, proceeded on his way to the goldfields.  Of his adventures on
the journey, he gives a rather amusing description, for which, however, we
regret to say, we have no space.  Between Cossack and Roebourne he saw
some hills of manganese and haematite iron, which, if prospected, would,
he thinks, yield some rich finds of gold.  The reefs resemble those of Mt
Morgan, and there are also indications of alluvial, which he predicts
will, when discovered, be nuggetty.  He spent a couple of days at
Roebourne, and then proceeded on his way to the fields.  Eight miles out
of Roebourne, he passed Mt Hall, a small basaltic hill which was, he says,
originally thrown up by a volcano.  The country exhibit signs of having at
one-time been subjected to the action of the sea-waves, which by constant
washing have reduced it to its present level.  The formation is mostly
haematite iron, showing jasper, cornelian and agate stones.  Journeying
on, he crossed the plain country, after which he passed large outcrops of
pure, white quartz, showing from the hills on his right.  These run for
miles, and are all true lines of reef, of a gold and copper formation, and
he considers them well worth prospecting.  Passing Fisher's station, he
came to some excellent mineral country, where, he says, cinnabar, chrome,
and nickel should be found.  Six miles farther on, he came to Mr Meare's
station, previously belonging to Mr J. Withnell.  The country here is
still the serpentine country, marked with basaltic nobs, and giving
indications of bismuth, asbestos, and cobalt.  At the Sherlock River, one
comes upon syenite granite country, with outcrops of micaschists carrying
large quantities of titanic iron, and Mr Argles says he should not be
surprised if a good find of tin and silver was made there.  He also
expects precious stones will be found there.  Six miles on, he passed
through slate country, where the copper-finds were made, and where, so far
as material is concerned, there would be a good opening for a slate
quarry, as the slate can be split to any size and thickness.  This, he
adds, is an excellent country for gold.  A little further on, a dividing
hill "of pure iron" is reached, with large outcrops of basalt shewing
[sic]carbonates of lime shoes all, or calcite, shewing [sic] it to be true
volcanic rock or lava, or volcanic mud thrown from a thermal spring, and
cooled down and petrified by the action of the air.  This overlies the
lower Silurian, which is a true gold-bearing formation.  Here are to be
found sulphide and carbonate of lead, arsenical pyrites and alumina clay.
Having passed ever some more syenite granite country, the formation of
which is favourable to the discovery of garnets and other gems, a creek
named Poverty Crossing is reached, and here, Mr Argles believes a lead of
gold would be found by sinking in the creek till tho [sic] deepest part,
or a "concentrated gutter," was found.  This part of the country is
covered with hopper lime which, owing to the action of a thermal mineral
spring, has formed a kind of cement.  From its appearance, he judges it to
have have [sic] being washed, while in solution, from a higher-level,
until it reached its present surface, and coming in contact with the iron
and the atmosphere, has formed into cement containing lime, sulphur,
magnesia, potash, and salt.

Four miles farther, Mallina is reached.  The first sight here which greets
the traveller is the Mallina Reef claim, discovered some two years ago.  A
mile from this is situated the Alfred Argles G.M. Co's reef, late Martin
and Carrington claim.  Mr Argles says that before he acquired it, it had
been lying by a long time, the proprietors having been told they could do
nothing with it, as the ore would have to have been sent home to England
for treatment, and sold for antimony ore.  Mr Argles was asked to inspect
the mine.  He has had considerable experience in refractory ores, and
after examining it, he entered into an agreement with the owners to work
it.  Without delay, he imported a large battery with the necessary engine
and pumping-gear, and had it erected at the mine at once.  This cost them,
he says, £2,500, and the result has been most successful.  This claim
consists of 25 acres of land, being 12,000 ft long by 500 ft wide.  The
reef runs through the entire length of the claim, and has been tested in
seven places.  In varies in width from 2 ft to 14 ft on the surface.  Bulk
samples taken from the Western and near the middle yielded from 2 3/4
ounces to 4 ounces per ton, when assayed in the Ballarat School of Mines.
The middle shaft, which is 20 ft deep, gave 5 ozs to the ton at a depth of
10 ft.  The next shaft is where the battery is erected, and has been sunk
to a depth of 70 ft, the reef being from 3 ft to 8 ft wide.  A crushing of
20 tons of average stone taken here, yielded 60 ozs of smelted gold from
the plates.  The blanketings had not been treated, and are expected to
yield 2 ozs per ton, giving a total of 5 ozs to the ton, valued at £4 2s.
per oz at the Sydney Mint.  The cake of gold taken from the plates has
been for some time on view in Mr V. E. Nesbit's shop-window, in Hay Street.

Mr Argles expects to leave for Sydney, this week, to float the mine into a
company.  It is to be registered as a no-liability company of 150,000
shares, of which 25,000 will be offered to the public.  It is intended to
place more powerful machinery on the ground.  The mine will be kept
working, and it is expected to turn out at least 100 ozs, per week, by
placing 15 head more stamps with a 30 h.p. engine and winding-gear on the
mine.  During Mr Argles' absence, the mine will be worked by his manager,
Mr A. Jacobson.  Besides the gold, from every five tons of stone 60 per
cent of antimony can be picked, and is worth, he says, £20 per ton on the
ground, and this alone would pay the working expenses.

Five miles east lies the Peewah reef claim, which has also been taken up
by Mr Argles.  Two shafts have been sunk, the one 30 ft and the other 45
ft deep.  In the former, which is 300 feet distant from the latter, the
reef is 6 ft wide, and gold is discernible with the naked eye.  In the
deep shaft the reef is 3 ft wide, and shows good gold.  About 40 tons of
stone are at grass, which will be crushed at the battery.  For this mine
Mr Argles has ordered a ten-head battery from Sydney.

From Peewah, Mr Argles, in company with the Warden, proceeded to Pilbarra,
the first halt being at Wattle Creek.  Here is the division of the slate
and serpentine country, with an overlapping of the diorite formation.  It
is a good country for gold, and there is plenty of wood for machinery.
Farther on, the great gold-bearing country is reached.  Here it is of a
true slate formation, belonging to the Upper Silurian, and has every
appearance of being water-worn, the slate hill having been divided and
worn away at one period of its existence, the stream depositing the gold
so deep in the shingly slate which is collected at the base of the hill,
as to puzzle the prospector in his search for the precious metal.  The
leads of gold will, however, be found here, and Mr Ayles [sic] predicts it
will be twenty times as plentiful as the finds made heretofore in this
country.  The country, right from Mallina shews [sic] indications of a
richly auriferous nature, and needs only population and capital to work
it.  Farther on, ironstone country is reached, and promises some
difficulty to those engaged in the search for gold, as the metal is so
very much coated with oxide iron and sulphur, as to render it no easy
matter to distinguish it from ironstone.  Some of the stuff shewn [sic]
him was half gold and half iron.  After travelling a few miles further,
they came to some splendid gold-bearing country, with the ironstone
shewing [sic] in long ridges, and promising looking gulleys coming out of
the ranges.  The ridges are of the kind known as "razor-back," with great
gaps washed through them, and are mostly of haematite iron formation, with
manganese, rhodonite, and silica of manganese.  A few outcrops of diorite
shew [sic] here and there.  The ridges once passed, Pilbarra is reached.

The first claim Mr Argles inspected at Pilbarra was the Broken Reef claim
on the Broken Hill.  The hill is about three miles in length, and is one
mass of quartz, and runs along the division of the granite and Silurian
slate.  Some rich specimens of gold have been found in patches all along
this hill, and the gold formation, which is about half a mile wide,
extends into the hill for a great distance.  Five miles away, the Silurian
is overlapped by basalt.  Only comparatively light work has been done on
the field, and he is of opinion that real systematic work will yield grand
results.  He advises miners to follow the iron Silurian formation westward
for alluvial gold, which he considers the more favourable direction.  If
there are any permanent reefs at Pilbarra he believes they will be found
to the east, as the country there is of a truer reefing character.  He
next inspected the Bowbon Reef machinery, which worked well, and will put
through about 50 tons of stone.  If they can get a yield of only 8 dwts.
it will pay, he says.

Mr Argles did not go on to Nyullagine, as he had no time, and cannot,
therefore, pronounce very decidedly upon the country.  Judging, however,
from the specimens he has seen, he differs from those who call the
formation a conglomerate, and considers it to be nothing more than eroded
wash caused by the action of the iron in the water upon the original
formation.  He considers the formation a very likely one for a permanent
field, as it is one of the old beds, and resembles the Made Cement Hill in
Victoria.

Having returned to Roebourne, a few days later, Mr Argles set out
eastwards, in the direction of the Ashburton rush.  He traced the country
for 40 miles, and says that right through to the Ashburton it consists of
five different strata running parallel with each other.  The first is a
belt of ironstone, then one of granite quartz hills and diorite, then an
iron carrying carbonates of lime, and lastly serpentine.  He spent a week
at Mr Clarkson's and had a man out prospecting the country, which he
compares to both Mt Morgan and Broken Hill.  He found lead, copper,
silver, and gold, the latter being found in large outcrops of haematite
and magnetic iron.  This visit finished his inspection of the fields and
before leaving the Nor'-West, Mr Argles caused a large box to be packed
with specimens of minerals from his mines, and from other parts of the
district, and for the Mining and Metallurgical Exhibition in London.

DISCOVERY OF SILVER NEAR ALBANY.

A discovery of silver Tuesday, reports the Advertiser (Albany) of June
9th, has been made on the Candyup estate of Mr Campbell Taylor.  The ore
is found on the surface, and specimens sent away for assay have, we
understand, given encouraging results.  The stuff has been used at Candyup
for many years in the cleaning of rusty harness [sic], being very suitable
for that purpose.  Whether the mineral deposit is in any large quantity
has not yet been ascertained.  A party of gentlemen proceeded to Candyup
to-day to be present at the taking of further specimens for assay; and
should the results again be sufficiently promising the ground will be
thoroughly tested.  The find was made on the freehold land of …

(Note: the article has been cut and finishes abruptly at this point.)...

Karonie, Coonana, Zanthus.

Kildana. Start of Kanandah fence to south[?]. Lime kilns. Got in touch with Ruth at 3.30 and they collected a lot of small lizards and some snakes, all under bit of wood - more under tin.

Drove in the Kandandah. Ruth and Eric all at home, Susie inepiasible as ever. Ruth and Eric well, delighted to see them. They have had a very poor season. Carrying about 30,000 from the 40 ooo of two years ago. An excellent wool clip last year but only 3 inches so far.
Had a most pleasant evening to bed at 9.30, a very cold night. How nice to have a good bed.

Told Eric about the Wedgetail sitting on the fence post about 10 ft. from four half-grown lambs which were watching it (it was measuring dinner[?]) - we drove over and it flew off & as it did so the lambs moved forward in concert. Eric tells of an Eagle he watched in Qld. which struck a half-grown roo but he was too slow as the on the ground so he made repeated air strikes tumbling[?] over the swinging[?] kangaroo each time until he killed it.

> 18th August 1970 (Tuesday)
Kanandah, put in 12 gals.
Trainline, stopped at gate & collected Gymnodactylus milii under sleeper.
Sleeper, collected Heteronotia binoei and Mus musculus underneath.
Rawlinna.

Abandoned camp. Collected under sleepers and rocks H. binoei, and a small Asleplous[?] elegans. This was the place where Butler previously collected S. murina under sleepers. Fantastically unlikely for murina ! Took photos [C6524, 5]. Trachysaurus rugosus on track. Very rugose like a pine cone. Collected.

Haig. Stopped for lunch in a little patch of Casuarina. Very pleasant in the sun. Wind died a bit and no longer bitterly cold. Photographed Gymnodactylus [C6626,7] and also the Trans train which came through while we were lunching [C6628]. All people sitting in the Diner. We were probably more comfortable than they - at any rate would not have swapped !

Nurina. Stopped to turn over sleepers, collected a couple of geckoes Phyllodactylus (laminated toes, bifid pad, claw on each digit - Gelya has non bifid pad & no claw on inner digit - Butler's diagnostics), Heteronotia binoei.

Road very rough indeed milage scarcely 20 mph much of the time.

Loongana. Very slow progress. Decided to camp for the night before the light goes. Camped in a little clump of  "dead finish" Acacia (? aphylla) and desert willows Pittosporum (will collect seed).

Collected wolf spiders, running on the ground. Some salt and blue bush, Temp. 53*F.

> 19th August 1970 (Wednesday)
Camped 9.3 E. of Loongana. A good night, fairly warm, cloud coming up, wind shifted fr. N into due West. Off at 0810.
Butler found a small Ablepharus butleri under a stone. Collected a bag of seeds of native willow Pittosporum which I must try to grow.
Mundrabilla Siding. Small sprinkle of rain at intervals but little risk of it developing.
Stopped at a donga to photograph an Acacia [C6629] collected a few of the very scarce and small puffball flowers. Phyllodes and twisted..
Forrest. Posted letters to M & Jim. Crossed to south of track, stopped at Gurney [?] near Reid for lunch - looked for fossils in fissure fils[?] nothing.
Reid. Track comes off for airfield. Collected Tympanocryptus running , went under a stone.
XD140 Benchmart, Lands & Surveys WA.

Harry's diagram of cave. The cave has a compacted earth floor & scraps of bone, easy to get into. No evidence of H. sap. but flakes collected on surface within 1 mile of cave. Worth excavation someday.

Investigated cave alongside road (to east). Harry collected bones of Perameles, Leporillus, Dasycereas, a small macropod, 2 small Drymidae, Notys?, Pseudemys. Collected Trapdoor spider, no door on brow but copious silk sleeve. Unfortunately burro between stues & destroyed in excavating it. Collected land shells 3spp.& slater.
Bad mark XD155.

Camped among myalls to the west of the track. Collected Huntsman spider T50F, 3/4 moon on the wane. Turned in at 10.00 pm. Few meals around. Saw a couple of rabbits along the trans line & two foxes. Country very poor. Salt and bluebush in reasonable condition but grass all black & grey. No water anywhere. Red kangaroo & ten greys as we entered the myall zone at 87.9.

> 20th August (Thursday)
Camped in myall, a good night. Cold morning west gone road to N.W. Off at 8.10, only 140 m. yesterday, must make Ceduna tonight. Eucla. Put in 15 3/4 gals super, gauge showing empty, 302.2 m. since Kanandah average 18.8 mpg.
S.A. / W.A. border mallee & saltbush. Wombat holes on Nullarbor Stn. in saltbush, took some photos and collected land snails and a wombat palate & teeth. The holes are common between mileposts 28 and 26 to Nullarbor Homestead.
Nullarbor Homestead turnoff, collected bobtail on road just past the turnoff. Myall comes in again after a stretch of the plain which started before the wombat holes (although there was scattered Myall there).
Ivy Tanks.
Start of the Yalata reserve: Bluebush, Eucalypts (woolly butts) and myall. First wheat starts after cleared grazing in open myall and eucalypt "parkland" for some miles.
Fuel pump at Nindroo, Fowlers Bay turn off.
Wolf spider in hole under stone in a small roadside "reserve". Collected.
Penong fuel 15 gals average 18.6 mpg. Ceduna X road.

Stayed in Poochera to phone in. All well at home. Seds a bit off colour but Jim's operation seems to be successful. Dark 8.15 and cold.

Turnoff main road at Minnipa to go south to find camp in the dark. Find a place behind a small belt of trees and off the road. After meal wrote decisions in cases for International Commission until about 11.00 pm, to bed, cold & windy. Harry got some spiders.

> 21st  August (Friday)
Camped 5 miles south of Minnipa in a small clump of eucalypts at a bend in the road among paddocks of wheat. A nice morning. Alice Springs sched starts at 8.00 on 5410, can hear perfectly well, off at 0840.
Back on Eyre Highway, Kimba 18 1/4 gals.

Drove on to Port Augusta across country which at first was mallee rather like Lake Grace but soon became less strong and then changed to myall, sheoak, bluebush/saltbush. Finally coming up to the Middleback Range before Iron Knob to the south of Lake Giles the country might virtually be a cross between the flats between the Wooramel and Brown Range of the Nullarbor. come through the Middleback Range the country gets even worse until Port Augusta reached.

Port Augusta left Hwy with vehicle after lunch to get 4000 miles service done & roofrack welded where it had fractured. Went to the Public Library where the girls let me wash before handling books ! I then worked on Commission business and got it posted.

Drove out into the Flinders Ranges to Quorn and camped on a tributary of Willochra Creek just north of Gordon [Kanyaka Creek 6m. S. of Wilson]

Camped in rain. Got the fly up - leaks ! Bats flying low and very fast. Spotlighted while Harry shot. He collected a Tadarida australis, male, wt:37gr, H & B 84 mm, T.V. 49mm, H.I 10 mm, E26mm, forearm 62 mm (wt & measurements taken by Butler). A beautiful chocolate brown with a well marked golden pouch with raised globular rim (bone) and with two dense clusters of marvellous rich brown chocolate hair which, when wanted for the pouch stood up like two dense bristly fans. Photographed pouch b&w. A male trapdoor walked into the tent & onto Harry's leg ! Collected. T.52* a very fine wolf spider about in the rain.

> 22nd August (Saturday)
Rained hard all night. Was awakened about 03.30 and did not sleep much after that. Fly leaks and water splashing in my face.Sound of running water gave me some concern that we would have difficulty in getting up the bank out of this valley - but looked better in daylight! Still raining , but much more lightly during breakfast, which was leisurely. Harry collected a Pardelote.
Rail coming at Wilson [Halt]

Hawker[?]. Still raining but asked a bus driver who had just driven down the Wilpena Pound road what it was like. He said slippery but we would have no bother. Country very interesting. Callitris in hills rather like European hill scenery with firs. Triodia starts among the Callitris and bluebush eucalypts along the creeks looking like silver birch. Stopped at a flat with callitris and grass alongside the road at the foot of Rawnsley Bluff and opposite Moongarie Gap. Dry out spiders.[C6633].

Turned off into Wilpena Pound turnoff. The view is incredibly beautiful pastoral scenery. The Chalet is a privately owned property & camping area. Tents among the trees. Drove into the area and then walked up into the pound by the tourist track. A wonderful isolated woodland of tall eucalypts. Photographs [C6635-36]. Dry out 3 trapdoor spiders, more photos into the entrance of the Pound[C6701-2]. Stopped raining.
Back at main road.Through heavily-grazed hill country, Reds and Euros grazing, rabbits and fox.

Blinman, an isolated hill town. Drove down the road to Mt Mary and Parachilna. A  very beautiful and spectacular descent high hosting defiles. Rocky and dry[C6703]. Harry shot a rabbit. Saw several Euros. Down into the mud and desolate plains at the foot - to Parachilna 4002.6. Camped on Green Well Creek, collected spiders. Tadarida flying. V. cold.

> 23rd August (Sunday)
Camped in Greenwell Creek 7 miles N. of Parachilna. The creek's a rock strewn bed lined by quite tall rivergums and flowing along the top of a crest. Coming into it last night, up hill from Parachilna, I found it difficult to believe it was a creek at all.
An excellent night and lovely morning, clouds are still hanging around the Flinders and there is light cloud cover as a front passes over - but not enough to keep the sun off.

Country bare with low sand - looks badly eaten out. Breakfast-Time Creek is a lovely name in a dreadful area of eaten out country ; some of the most desolate I have seen.
Beltana - dreadful. Trying to make living on tourists in hopeless country.

Arrived at Leigh Creek township. An incredible place in such desolation. Sealed roads, brickbuilt houses, green trees and a little park with green lawns and wonderful flowering trees filled with birds.

Went to the police station (Sgt Marple & Const Cavanaugh) who say that the trees in park were Disto Lothian at the Adelaide Botanic Gardens. Wish that Bond had turned his energy to this sort of thing in W.A. Sgt Marple's boy is a keen fossil rock collector & hopes to be a geologist. Harry gaven him advice on Physics, Chemistry & Maths.

Drove back to Copley and fuel 14 1/2 gals - 15 mpg. Stopped for lunch in the bed of Leigh Creek. Dug out scorpions, Harry showed an excellent technique with water for folling tiosty burrows.

Went back to Leigh Creek and tried to phone Grant Inglis in Adelaide to find out why they had not turned up. No luck. Police advised checking with Johnny Akbar in Copley whether the Crusers were still out at Callabonna on Moolawatana stn. Went & checked and found out they were still there so decided to go back to Leigh Creek until 3.30 and then if they didn't want to go on out to Moolawatana to contact Michael Sheehan - manager. Did this and left message with Const. Cavanaugh to pass on to Grant. Tel from Briston : Collecting N.T. O.K. fuel Warburton O.K.

Leave Leigh Creek. Turn off at Copley on East. Passed Mt. Searl turnoff. This is incredibly desolate hill country almost completely bare of vegetation. [C6705] . Nepabunna Mission, houses in good condition, a school.   Wooltana H.S. in the plain at the N side of the range. country beautiful plains - quite good condition.

Camped in Arkaroola Crk. 6.4 m. N.E. of Wooltana H.S. Collected spiders T 54*F a nice (comparatively) warm evening. Pleasant sitting around the fire writing.

The general impression I get of this country is of incredibly desolate, thrashed saltbush country to the West of the Flinders Range which lies like a dividing rampart NpS through the country. he range itself has been destroyed by pastoral activity but is picturesque desolation with adits here & there. Very rough rather reminiscent of Nullagine and the Warraweena[?] series. And then over the other side, quiet plains in much better condition, apparently better watered, with good trees along numerous creeks feeding out of the range. Good grasses. Why do so many of the creeks on the other side (ie the West) seem to flow along the tops of ridges ?!

Telegram at Leigh Creek
"RIDE. COLLECTING; PERMIT APPROVED DARWIN COPY AVAILABLE ONCE NO REPLY YET ADELAIDE STOP FUEL OKAY WARBURTON NO REPLY GILES AM CABLING AGAIN REGARDS BANNUTER"

> 24th Aug. 1970 (Monday)
Camped at Arkaroola Creek. A beautiful night, windy in the middle of the night but woke to a still clear morning. Warm enough to sit comfortably in a pullover. Listened to Alice Springs sched, nothing for us, off at 0850. After leaving creek took 2 photos back at Creek & range [C6706] and Right ls of Range.[C6707]. Then stopped while Harry walked up a couple of quail thrushes of which he collected are - a very beautiful pale bird rising between little tussocks and small bushes, male.

[C6708] Creek and hills across gibber and sandy plain. N. Mulga (entrys). N. Mulga Homestead. Moolawatana H.S. a beautiful modern Homestead. The home paddock is full of bush but the rest is desolation. Met a young geologist and wife who were mapping the area. They told us where Tedford and party were working. We then met a truckdriver who also gave us a road map, v. useful in relation to mills and fences [see over]. Drove out to Tedford's camp and on the way were caught up by the rest of the party.
   Grant Inglis   S. A. Museum
   Paul Lawson  S.A. Museum
   Jim Warren  Monash
   Mike Plane  Bureau Of Mineral Resources
   Alan Bartholomai  Queensland Museum

We then followed Paul into the camp, a desolate wind-blasted spot. They have a caravan and two bedrooms[?] with open backs. They had left a note for us to come out to the lake so we had lunch and then drove out on their tracks to the lake. The site is fantastic. Skeletons outcropping on the surface into a ventenesd[?] zone of gypsum and sands below this a blue clay interbedded with thin sands and then going into sand at 2ft6 to 3 ft in most places. The skeletons are all in the grey clay except where deflation has brought them into the weathered zone. Took numerous photos, went for Side 4 ; where they were working to a place where Diprotodon trackings were visible on the surface. These arplute explicable as follows :
[Sketch] [blue clays] "bioturbation" (Tedford's name)

The deflation removes the less compact material and leaves the actual treads. Took photos. Aso took photos of giant bird remains as well as concentrations of clay[?] stones.Drove to Side 1 where Tedford demonstrated the sequence of beds which were Upper sands, Upper clay, with Emu[?], smaller birds, fish otalites, then an apparent disinfinity with the Diprotodon-bearing clays break down. The only aquatic animals in these lower beds are Coriellas. So Tedford believes that these were saline at the time of deposition. He also believes that the distortion of the skeleton is due to "bioturbation" - or simply animals walking on each other !
Sand blowing like hell - really a wretched place. They say that this is the worst day they have had.
Back to camp to an excellent dinner cooked by Paul Lawson.
After yarning with the party went out and collected spiders. Strong wind. T54*F.
Mudmap to site of camp on Woolatchi Creek.

> 25th Aug 1970 (Tuesday)
Camp on Woolatchi Creek, Lake Callabonna. Up at dawn after a very windy night, but slept v. well. drove to Homestead and filled with fuel.
Homestead. Took northwards road through Lyndhurst cb house. Incredibly desolate country here. All the bush and most of the larger shrubs have been killed leaving only Mitchell Grass as the staple. Mile Shean says that they have had no rain for 2 years and that he is down to 6,000 head from 12,000 - obviously that is too much.
Mt Fitton H.S.
Signpost "Talc Mine 3 miles" on turnoff to our right. Photo[C6801] of typical desolation.
Mt. Freeling H.S. An old camp with incredible stone corral and post & rail fence - photos :[C3802, 03] collected - few bib of worthwhile gear.
Farina. Incredible place - "On western plains where shade is not.." [C3804,5]

Maree [Marree ?] Fuel 171/2 gals to fill. Sent Telegram to Jim on his birthday, "Many happy returns of the day All going well Love Dad". Ran into Warren Bonython. Incredible place to meet one's friends ! He was going to look at a new National Park at Lake Eyre North.
On the Birdsville Track.

Clayton Bore. Camped by the bore stream. Collected a good series of spiders.  Saw in the water (a large black water spider) a few small greenish ones in bushes but not on the sand. T 56* F, Slight showers.

> 26th August 1970 (Wednesday)
Camped at Clayton Bore. Up before dawn. Harry started the day well by lamping into a Sminthopsis crassicaudata [WR218] as it had the misfortune to walk within the circle of lamplight - Incredible performance.
Hayes Hill where Dick researches[?] the contact between the Cretaceous Blanchewater Fn. and the Lower Testing Murnpeowie Fn. and the relation of  test to the "silicated Dricrest"[?] the feral crugent [?] at the place.
Sketch of silicated land forms e.g. Hays Hill.

The Blanchewater is probably the equivalent of the Winton Fri [?] which contains dinosaurs The Murnpeowie is probably the equivalent of the Plutagents, M. contains plant impressions in the silcrete near Hays Hill.

[C6806,7] Dick Tedford study on the Basal beds of the Murnpeowie [C6808,9] Mike Plane standing in one section showing the deflated gibbers on the top.

[C6810,11]A good shot of Hays Hill showing how the contact mantles a basin in the Blanchewater Fn. Sketch of [C6810,11] : the dip of the Blanchewater is about 13* to the NW into the basin which is filled with the Etadunna Fm. The Winton Fm. shows up in a bore underlying the Etadunna Fm.
[C6812] Sketch : Geological map of the area.

Unfortunately the contact between the Etadunna Fm. and the Murnpeowie do not show on the surface. Outcrop on side of road seems to be Murnpeowie Fm.

Cannuwankaninna Bore. Stopped here and had a bath while the Holden went up to Etadunna Station Homestead. Camped in under the lee of a large Dune in the Cooper (between it and L. Palankarinna) M.R. 66435. Reached SW. corner of lake to look at the contact between the Cretaceous and the Etadunna Fm with the B.M.R. and the S.A. Mines Dept.

The Etadunna fm here lies on top of a silveted[?] and ladinized[?] horizon which Dick says is typical of the lowest[?] horizon of a massive[?] denicrest[?]. Mary Lindsay (S.A. Mines) points out that there is similar silcected[?] Nullarbor bestie[?] at Lake Pidinga N. of Yalata Mission on the track to Watson.) The least[?] part of the Etadunna Fm. is Dolomitic limestone with Both-like gastropods and some Rhaggada-like shells. Collected a good swag. On top of this is the remnant of gibbers which Dick believes is transported[?] from an adjacent area of limestone.
Sketch.

Photographed a channel of Katapiri cut into the Etadunna Fm.[C6815]   Moved along the W. side of the lake and looked at typical exposures of the 3 fms present here.

[C6819] Sketch looking west   Tirari

C6820  looking north [C6821] [C6822] Sketch Katapiri, Tirari, Etadunna, note that the Tirari has been pinched out with the Katapiri cut into the Etadunna fm. Tedford points out that the Tirari overlies the Mampuwordu  but not the Katapiri. It is not known what the relationship with Wipijiri is (this is only known at Ngapakaldi) T. does not believe that Tirari is the lateral equivalent of the Wipajiri Tirari is not fossiliferous anywhere.

C6823 Taken at the top of the syncline where the Etdunna is thickest [Sketch] Tirari , Dolomitic limestone of the top of the Etadunna.

C6827, 28 Lawson Quarry, a Mumpuwordu channel in the Etadunna overlain by Tirari.
C6829 Keane Quarry: - note the ?ypcrete in the Tirari above the contact.

Started to look for fossils and found a lot of scrap bone from the Etadunna. Fantastically rich. Paul found some teeth  with a curious sclandent[?] fn of two sets of 3 cusps.[6824 after excavation]
Started back to camp. Camp alongside the large N.S. dune.

Collected spiders. A very warm night with an incredible sandstorm which got out in the night and could have torn everything to shreds if we had had tents.

> 27th August (Thursday) 1970
Camp at Palankarinna in lee of the dunes on west side of lake. We collect the teeth and mandible found by Paul Lawson yesterday. Photos of mandible in situ.[C6824]. Photos down the line of exposures looking south [C6825]. Photo [C6826] looking across the lake to the Dricrusted[?] sediments to fossils which Dick believes the Silcrete[?] clants in the sediments are derived C6826,27 See notes of previous day.[error in transcribing fm pencil notes]. Drove back to camp for  lunch after collecting all moving. Sched. [6832] Landrover in Dunes on my way back to camp. Perth 3.48 pm. 25th Dr Ride 8WNX

PERMIT GRANTED SCIENTIFIC PURPOSES AND FOR COLLECTING ON R1028 SELF BUTLER STOP COLLECT AUTHORIZATION SUPERINTENDENT DOCKER RIVER NO WORD YET GILES HAVE REQUESTED SOUTH AUSTRALIAN AUTHORITIES CONTACT YOU DIRECT  BANNISTER.

C6829 Shows the Mampuwordu sands in quarry face.
C6830 Same scene of above / Tiari Hand pointing , say where D M ends.
Yellow gohere of Mampuwordu Sands, Etadunna in hole.
C6831 Dipnotodited plate in situ.
Set off for Lake Kanunka. Passage up the broad valley to the Cooper.
Cooper Creek photo C6828

Continued along Cooper to a point recognised by Tedford as been away northwards up a dune valley wth a seismic track running along it with shot holes. Lake Kanunka, excellent exposures of sediment.

Camped at the foot of a large bluff - the eastern side of the lake. Very cold night. Too tired to collect. Harry went out and got some spiders while I talked palaeontology. On the way up the country was very impressive little vegetation and almost no signs of water. A beautiful little mob of brumbies came down and investigated the convoy of Landrovers and galloped along waiting about 23-25mph for several miles. V. impressive. Dunes about 20-30 ft high, fairly well vegetated except the crests.

> 28th August 1970 (Friday)
Camped at Lake Kanunda. Up at 5 am, dreadfully cold. The Sminthopsis had died in the night. A female with large teats but no young. Preserved in formalin [WR218] F. Sminthopsis crassicaudata centralis, very large ears (rather like lirtipes) tail, invanited but not fat, white patches behind the ears very marked. Ears without the the distinct dark triangle of sunken S. crassicaudata. Tail shorter than H and B., feral colour a display four al white indourifers.

Clayton Bore shown on Birdsville Track between Marree and Etadunna H.S. ; W.H.Butler by hand, HB. 80, HF16, FA19, TV68, F22. Photographed the stratigraphy at the camp site. C6824,35 Sketch.

Collected for the scree of Katapiri, very rich indeed.
C6836,37 C6838 Map of the Etadunna localities. Scheds.

1. ADELAIDE RIDE : SCIENTIFIC PERMIT TO COLLECT PROTECTED FAUNA EXCLUDING RARE SPECIES RECOMMENDED TO MINISTER WILL DESPATCH TO PERTH OLSEN
2. PERTH RIDE : SUGGEST YOU CONTACT GILES DIRECT THEIR ADDRESS OUTPOST ALICE SPRINGS  BANNISTER

Drove north along the lake then out to Lake Pitikanta, a remarkable lake with excellent exposures of Etadunna fm. Saw how whole skeleton Dyprotodontidae were collected on earlier expeditions where driver presence is indicated by signs of surface bane.
Mandible of small Dyprotodon Ngapakaldia as found by weating pattern.

General view of above. Etadunna fm with tigia and a Katzini channel in mesa background. Another skeleton revealed by ducertution.

5 skeletons revealed in valley. Mandible 04 excavated and shellac added. Plaster badged for removal. Had lunch and then drove back to Lake Ngapakaldi.

Very unimpressive. Low exposures on the Eastern side. An island in the middle and the Western side have better exposures but no vertebrate fossil locs. C6810 general scene of exposures. Walked northwards for a little bluff midway along the Southern side of the lake and came to the Wipajiri loc. This is a very strange locality walked by small clasts reaching out into the beach. They found it by avere and some turtle bones which weakened out. They then put in a trench and find that it was a channel rising parallel to the beach and below the present surface: it is in the Etadunna but there is no Tirari fms to give superimprintual control ? Where does it come in the sequence ? The fauna is very strange indeed. the channel enters Etadunna clasts. Is there some possibility that the channel is itself laid down in Etadunna times and not post-Etadunna ?

Clasts on the beach.
Clasts of fossil plants (Detail)

Drove up into the dunes to find a little valley for the night. The evening started warm 67*F - collected spiders & wrote up diary. Got cold by 11.00. To bed.

> 29th August 1970 (Saturday)
Camped at Lake Ngapapaldi. Left to drive south via Pitikanta to pick up the mandible in plaster block. Dick Tedford and Mike Plane decided to go north with the Bureau party to investigate some as yet unexplored lakes which had good exposures in the photos. Left at 0810 after sched and sent RIDE PHONE 862242 PERTH LEAVING ETADUNNA TODAY ON WAY ALICE SPRINGS STOP TELL JOHN PERMITS OK LOVE DEE

Passed old well. Harry shot 2 Babblers that he is not familiar with. Took photos of the locality which is approx  1.5 m. north of Wyalta Waterhole in Cooper Creek (654448) [C690].

Cooper Creek. We joined the truck we took work at his place. We had got one dune too far east on the way back and did not have the advantage of the seismic track. [C690].
Crossing of the Cooper.

Cannuwaukaninna Bore. had a wonderful bath in hot water, washed the spilt oil off the roof of the Toyota (due to oil cans being insuffiently stood and splitting in the roof rack) and washed our clothes.

Clayton Bore. Met the others and camped for the night. Had a good talk, especially with Jim Warren. He will write to me about the need for an Australian Carbon Dating Ind. to be run on a commercial(?) basis. I have told him that I will have a go at the WAIT

> 30th August 1970 (Sunday)
Camped at Clayton Bore, said goodbye.
Started on the Birdsville Track and photographed Marree [C6916]
Marree 24 gals of super, All new supplies of vegetables and meat $9.52
Signpost Oodnadatta road.
Gate in Dog Fence.
Photo of country - very desolate Margaret Siding !
Mount Hamilton Homestead
William Creek Hotel - Turned west off the Oodnadatta road at a signpost Oodnadatta  130
Anna Creek Homestead turned left at road marked to Coober Pedy.
Gibber plain (photo[c6919].

Camped beside creek in good eucalypts, the first we have seen all day of any size. The country we have been through is very desolate and heavily grazed. For the first part (i.e. Birdsville Track - William Creek mostly "bush" or mitchell grass, very little ground cover). After William Creek a few sandhills but not much cover. After Anna Creek low vegetated dunes with extensive gibber between. Altogether very little vegetation left but enough to show that there must have been pretty good cover prior to stocking - but now virtually nothing. There does not seem to be any plant (like spinifex in Pilbara) which has taken advantage of the situation.

Blew a tyre (staked) coming into amp - Harry fixed it as well as that we did the other day. H collected spiders, a beautiful yellow one. Temp 43*, I prepared maps.

> 31st August 1970 (Monday)
Camped on creek to east of Coober Pedy. Photo [C6920] of map with Etadunna Formation locs. filled in for teaching.
0800 Sched sent.
OFFICER IN CHARGE ANIMAL INDUSTRIES BRANCH N.T.ADMIN. , ALICE SPRINGS. AM INFORMED COPY OF MY PERMIT IS WITH YOU STOP WISH TO AVOID DEVIATING THROUGH ALICE SPRINGS THROUGH KULGERA UNLESS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY PLEASE ADVISE RIDE

[C6528]Photo of Coolibahs along creek bank at camp. Spiders cone osteid (the new yellow one) in burrows about 8" degs" in sediment above creek bank. Sediments sandy gossels did not find in the soft lam. Bruno with silk-lined rim and lined with silk. Photographed spider & bread bin - also a small-chosed scorpion which we found about 12 inches down in a Trapdoor spider burrow [6521-27].

Coober Pedy. A remakable place which looks like an outback town which has been set down in the middle of a mine. Heaps of mullock all over them place, dirt roads anywhere anyone wanted to take a vehicle a cloud of dust & vehicles parked all over the place, an increddible mixture of built places (pub,  post office, store etc.) as well as the traditional dugouts. Called on Eric Smith of "Aladdin's Cave"- a contact of Harry Butler's. Eric sells opals and anything else which will catch a tourist. Had coffee with him in his 11 room dugout. It cost him $20,000 dollars only a couple of years ago. He is the chairman of the Progress association. They are fighting hard for local government and were responsible for the recent clear up of some hard cases following the recent robbings and stabbing of an opal buyer. Had a few drinks with him and agreed to identify a shell for him. Fuel 16 gals supplies $4.22 (total to date $13.54).

Drove over to the rubbish tip to see if we could find any small shells which Harry found last time he was here. Nothing except 2 small boys spending a useful morning breaking bottles ! Wrote to Sunes & Kathy.

Mt. Willoughby Homestead. Oodnadatta Rd. joins from the east. Welbourn Hill. Camp in mulga on a stray plane. After we had eaten we went out and collected spiders. V. few species here but many individuals. The country here is pretty poor. For the first 70 miles north of Coober Pedy it was gibber plain with very little vegetation at all, a little low scrub here a cheae and an occasional mulga. At about 60-70 m. N. of Coober Pedy stands of mulga become common and for the next 50 or so miles one almost continues. However since then there have been alternate gibber plains & mulga. The camp is in mulga with virtually no industry - much frequented by cattle. The gibber plain surrounding it is very bare.
Approx 24 m. S. of Gibber Downs Homestead on the Coober Pedy Rd.

> 1st Sept. 1970 (Tuesday) 1st day of Spring.
Camp 24 m. S. of Granite Downs H.S.
Recd. following. RIDE 8WNX ALICE SP. PERMIT OK PROCEED DIRECTLY STOP LETTER RE EXPORT OF SPECIMENS FOLLOWING:CHIEF ANIMAL INDUSTRIES.
Sent 1.BANNISTER 284411 PERTH OMITTING ALICE SPRINGS BY ASSESSMENT N.T.A. PROCEEDING KULGERA AYRES ROCK DIRECT TODAY  RIDE
2. OFFICER IN CHARGE 8SCG (GILES) ALICE SPRINGS. HAVE I PERMISSION TO REFUEL AT GILES UP TO 30 GALS 3RD SEPTEMBER RIDE DIRECTOR W.A.MUSEUM
Drove northwards, a lovely day, country badly affected by grazing.
Photo of degraded mulga country [C6933].

Granite Downs turnoff. out of fuel in tank (consumption p - 250 miles at 12 1/2 mpg : not good enough). Very nice patch of good mulga & grevillea[C6934,5].
Border of N.T./S.A.. Country still generally rather poor but rather more grass.

Victory Downs turnoff. Victory Downs. Now running a motel business, fuel 22 1/2 gals. Lunch stop. Photo of a rather nice Cassia [C6926] collected a bit too. It occurs as a rather pale green bush in sandhills.

Sched. Telegram recd. RIDE 8WNX PERTH10.12am
PERMISSION NECESSARY FROM DIRECTOR WEAPONS RESEARCH ESTABLISHMENT TO ENTER PROHIBITED AREA INCLUDING GILES STOP FAMILY WELL STOP THEY WILL CONTACT YOU SOONEST STOP LETTER AT WARBURTON STOP REGARDS BANNISTER

Photo of Musgrave Ranges at N.E. end [C7001].

Mulga Park H.S. Looks a nice place, lovely country with excellent mulga and various shrubs including the Cassia and native poplar Codnocarpus. Good grass. Photo of road lined with native poplars [C7002].

First Triodia we have seen in the whole trip! From here on the whole plant association begins to look more familiar and typical of the Western Desert as we know it. Occasional sandhills, grasses and spinifex seeding. Plenty of water, Euros in rocky places.
Mt Connor looking as striking as I expected from the air [C7003]

Curtin Springs, Mrs Dawn Severis (husband Peter away), a motel & petrol station. Dawn very pleasant to us, gave us a cup of tea (she was a Qld friend of Harry Butler who visited with the U.S. Exped. and also with Rolf Harris) and let us have a shower. Very nice. Felt well dressed afterwards despite lack of ironing. At least our clothes did not call attention to us. A busload of schoolgirls (from Melburne S.C.E.G.G.S.) had broken down there  (50 tourist buses a day!) - schoolgirls are rather more attractive than I remember!

Camp. Went spider collecting T. 52*F, very few individuals about. None in the dune. Shot a rabbit with the .410 pistol. Got one Lialis burtonis being not spinifex, H. shot a Tadarida australis in the firelight! m. [WR219], ivB 85 mm, TV 47 mm, HF12 mm., E 29 gm., forearm 55 mm., Wt. 34 gms., gulmar pouch of moderately developed Hairs in two tufts but not bristle or strikingly rich brown as in [217]

> 2nd Sept 1970 (Wednesday) 
Camp 6m. w. of Curtin Springs in mulga in a slight clay flat with desert oaks and mulga. A sandhill behind, some spinifex. [C7004] First photos of Ayres Rock. Sched 1 recd DR RIDE 8WNX WEAPONS RESEARCH ESTABLISHMENT SALISBURY S.A. SUGGEST YOU PICK UP FUEL AT DOCKER RIVER AS GILES IS NOT SET UP TO SUPPLY FUEL AND IS IN ANY CASE A RESTRICTED AREA. WEAPONS SALISBURY

Ayres Rock Warden's Office & letter box. Talked to Derek Roth, Curator of the Rock (Ranger). They are having real problems over controlling people and keeping them in camping areas and on roads. They had 27,000 last year and 15 tourist buses a day at present. His offsider is Ian Carwood and Lance ?. He was particularly bitter about so-called naturalists etc who seem to think that they need special treatment. He gave an example of a group from the University of Adelaide who were not aware that they needed permits. He is an ex-policeman from Nairobi and seems competent.
Collected owl pellets, and bones from ambast in a ledge.

Met Dave Simpson and (aboriginal) wife Trixie, he is a motor mechanic and is trying to get set up at the Rock. He is performing unofficially under canvas (a camp - with corrugated iron under the canvas!) and has a small museum of artifacts. He would like to get some lainduley points.
8.00 left Rock.

Took a lot of photos round the Rock and also over towards Olgas. Desert oaks lovely. Left circular track in the NW of Mt. Olga, joined Giles track [C7014] last photo at Mt Olga, joined Giles track at Nat. Park sign. Collected Ampliboleus inernis in flat burrow after it ran across the road. Collected noteu.

Armstrong Creek. Photographed beefwood and blackwood on the flat (beefwood's a drooping Acacia, bloodwood is a Eucalypt) [C7018]

Camp on the edge of a dune 6 miles east of the Irving Creek crossing on the Giles Road. Sandhill alive with small mammal tracks. Set all the Elliott traps (20) and also set about 26 breakbacks. Went out in the evening to look for spiders, again very few induviduals here T.55*F. Collected a gecko as well. Back in camp H. shot a Nycticeius in the spotlight. [WR220] Nycticeius , H B 53 mm., Ear 13mm., TV37 mm. forearm 35mm. HF 8 wt 10 gm. The bats are flying low over a profusely flowering Acacia, very difficult photo, they were so close. The Acacia is a lovely white-stemmed little tree (?shrub) about 8ft. tall.[C7019].

Very tired,  I don't know why because we rose late and have not done much today. To bed at 10.30

> 3rd Sept. (Thursday)
Camped on the Westward facing of a sandhill 6 miles East of Irving Creek. Mulga on the flat, spinifex and grass on the sandhill with flowering acacias and a few mallee-form Eucalypts with broad leaves. Trapped one Notomys alexis f. [WR221] H & B 98, E 24, O+2=4, tv139, Wt 36 g , Hf 32, Incisors not grooved. Made him a stall. Gular pouch a rather confusing feature. It is a whorl of white hairs with a bare area in the centre. When the animal is relaxed it looks like a pouch but when it is examined closely & stretched it can be seen that there is barely enough of a raised rim to call it a pouch Nevertheless there is little doubt that it is alexis. The book might be improved by the words "(sometimes a saucer-like depression of bare skin)" inserted after "pouch". Pregnant 4 foetuses approx 18 x 13 in utero. Note: When the animal was skinned the pouch showed as a thin window-like area in the throat. The creamy white hair of the actual area also shows through the skin. Both areas are separate [C7020] locality of N. alexis (sandhill). Holes common, tracks everywhere.

Photos of the two eucalypts of the country. Collected species for honesis Blackwell [C7021,2] opposite leaved small fruit.(mallee form but also as a tree about 40 ft high).[C7023,4] alternate leaved bigger fruits.

Small rock cistern on side of road in a low outage of granite. Typical Desert rockhole bad dry and not maintained.

A tree of Duboisia hopwoodi, Pitcheri, about 10 ft tall [C7025, 6, 7,8] also a mob of about 20 camels.

[C7028] photo of the edge of the Petermann country [C7030] of Bloods Range in distance.  This is lovely country ; by groves of Desert oaks, some white backed Eucalypts in addition to the mallees, mulga and gidgee None of it has been grazed and there is no browse line. The grass and spinifex is in high seed and it all looks golden and wonderful.

Shaw Creek.
Chirnside River, lots of Wirlies on the flat [C7031] - deraded.
Hull River Lasseter's Cave where they found his log.[C7032,3]. A lovely place under these conditions - but woeful without hope of relief.
A grindstone and pieces of ochre on the river flats.

Petermann range - view across to the gap behind the Ruined Ramparts [C7034].  Docker River Crossing.

Docker River Settlement. Met Supt who runs it for the N. T. Administration. This is not a mission but a Govt. Welfare place. Well equipped with canares about 300 people here. Supt hopes to run cattle - this will be the end of this wonderful place. 12 gals.

Sent to BANNISTER  PHONE 284411 PERTH
WIRELESS U/S PLEASE SEND FURTHER TRAFFIC WARBURTON REGARDS RIDE (CHARLIE 8WNX)
W.A. Border. Just before that saw a grove of blackboys also took [C7035] to the north.

Rebecca Creek. T.O. to Sandy Blight Junction, photo of white eucalypts [C7036] Giles Corner NOT  41 miles as per map BUT 31. To road down a track to camp at 714.4. Collected spiders. 52* F.

> 4th Sept (Friday) 1970
Camped some miles down a track to the east of the main track in an attempt to find a rock-hole marked approx 16 m. s. of Giles Corner on the map. These maps are difficult to me because of the lack of features. Must tell John Morgan.
Back on main track.
Northern edge of area excluded from Native Reserve (identified by "F.E.Govt" signs)
Photo of a new Mallee [C7101]

Blackstone Camp turnoff. Photo of a dead mulga and regenerating mulga is a situation that stock could not be involved. Mt. Aloysius in background [C7102]. Track joins far west along northern flank of range. T. O. to the Wingellina Camp. Wingellina Camp. Met John Smith and Mrs. Smith (camp manager), Dave Louth (Manager of Alice office of International Nickel), Cliff Hall. The men have all left preparatory for the total shut-down and John Smith expects to move out in a week or so. They invited us to use their hot showers (bliss) and took the opportunity to do a little washing as well. They gave us lunch and afterwards they all took us around the sites which were reported on by Crawford and Tomlinson.

S.A. Border nearest Mt. Davies [C7103]. Cleft in range making Irundju waterhole, this is part of the Papa myth. Crawford's site 1.[C7104-7]

Butler noticed grinding grooves in the rocks and immediately identified these as ochre grinding places for ceremonial - but I am suspicious because I find no ochre lumps at these sites.

Drove up the hill to Crawford's site 12 the place where the dog split in the hillside this is Njugali. Photographs [C7108-11] including a set of stones and sticks and leaves arranged on top of an adjacent rock. Flakes common around this site. Photo[C7112] of Aicotinium.

Arrived at the next site in the Papa myth (Crofonds site 3); the red sandhill where the puppies played. Njiguwalgu. This is a sticky isolated sandhill - quite out of place. International Nickel have fenced it and put up signs.

Drove on to Giani's claim. This is being worked by a group of whites Reg Hockley (manager) & wife, Des..., Norm ... who set up the ground with a bulldozer and then employ natives on piecework to pick up drums of chrysoprase or moss agate. Reg estimates that in a 10 day period a man can at the current rate of working about $20  and that he works about 6 hrs per day. This compares unfavorably with the International Nickel rate for natives of $61 per week (6 days ; 8 hrs day) or for casuals $55 which John says he has to reduce to $45 for late starting, etc. This should be looked into. The per drum rate is $10 for chrysoprase and $5 for moss agate.

Drove over Wingellina Hill where took photos of cave Njangalba, and hill with pyrics (pieces of magnesite) Ngangguna  [C7118-21]. Some of the magnesite is clearly placed in position, one small cave had yellow ochre on the floor, the larger cave had ayle charcoal (Site 13). Also took photos [C7122,3] of the ruins of the place where the dingo bitch had been. This had been destroyed by rock hunters.

Back at camp took photos of Stran's instructions to employees re sacred sites [C7124]
Mining camp at Wingellina.
Main road to Blackstone, Giles, etc.
Blackstone turnoff - took it. Blackstone camp and mill. Seems deserted.
Camp on side of road, probably  a couple of miles short of the Cavenagh Range turnoff.
Collected spiders and turned in. A very warm night - no wind.

One huge spider - very beautiful with very long striped legs and small body ; Red eyes, adpressed to a round boulder in a wash. Most memorable. Very few spiders of about 5 species. A mulga thicket in a creek with gravels.

> 5th Sept 1970 (Saturday)
Camped in a mulga flat on the side of the road. The site is a wash of black sand and boulders and has nothing to commend it except a total absence of bindiie! It is incredibly dead and no tracks around the camp.
Cavenagh Range track to south, stayed on main road.
Bilbring and Lightning rocks. The rockhole is completely dry. Looked over Bilbring, there has been no defacementof the pictographs since I was last here but tyremarks show that the rock at wayside is visited.[C7125,26]

Giles Tank still has a little water in it - very low in incredibly dry season. Main tank empty i.e. we have done 277 miles since Docker River on the main tank much of it at 50-60 mph. Tank on roadside: mill and tank.

Warburton Mission. There had been a message over our fuel and they will only let us have 20 gals to fill the main tank. Very irritating because we counted on the extra to get us down to the sticknest rat locality. 3 girls at the hospital having trouble with severe cases (one a dehydrated baby). Hoped I was a medic, felt sorry for them.

They have had a very poor season about 150 points altogether although they say Cosmo "just down the road" (i.e. 300 miles away)had over 300. No wonder the rockholes are dry.
Native Welfare Reserve sign.

Deviated several times from the road search for the way into the Neale Jn. road without success. Finally found a good road 34.7 miles from Warburton Mission and went down it bearing approx 113*, and heading straight on the skyline for the Simpson Hill group of heights.

Left main road to go down the road , stopped at Hwy , collected a banded whiteface [Aphelocephala nigricinata].
A lovely patch of mallee sandplain between sandhills.
3 White crosses - probably a datum point for aerial photography.
Reluctantly decided to turn back ; too dangerous without wireless and not enough petrol to get us to Cosmo. Camped in the mallee sandplain seen before.

Harry shot a Tadarida australis [222] f. with much white, a white collar and two white patches on the lower thorax on either side extending to the red vertical line from the two round white stripes. Garlai(?) pouch very obvious , but tuft of hair and small all within the pouch. H. made a skin to show colour. H & B 88 mm., E.26, TV46, fuermn 60, HF 13, Wt. 34 g. body in spirit.

Collected spiders, not many around despite reasonably warm eveving, moths numerous while at Warburton we collected mail and telegrams, mail for me with news of family. Telegram:
1. 4.9.70.  10am.RIDE
JUST HEARD FITZGERALD HEARING PROBABLY WEDNESDAY SEPT 9TH. CAN YOU MAKE IT.
 BANNISTER.
2. 4.9.70. 10.37 RIDE
THANKS FOR LETTER ALL GOING WELL LOVE MARGARET
3. 5.9.70 Perth RIDE
FITZGERALD HEARING NOW THOUGHT MORE LIKELY 14 SEPT 1970 BUT TO BE CONFIRMED.
 BANNISTER WA MUSEUM.
SENT. RIDE PHONE 862242 PERTH PASSED THROUGH WARBURTON SATURDAY WILL PHONE FROM LAVERTON MONDAY IF WE   GET THERE TELL BANNISTER LOVE   DEE.

> 6th Sept 1970 (Sunday)
Camp in mallee in sandhills. We recorded this locality on the label of the Tadarida as approx 25 m. ENE of Winduldana Rock Hole approx 25 m. SSW of Warburton Mission. [C7129, 30] of eucalypts at the site.

Curved back at main road, airstrip across the road. Road curves away northwards towards Sutherland Range. - all these factorsa point towards the road we are on being Dick Huotham's road to Neale Junction.

Winduldarra Rock Hole . The rockhole is very similar to Gamba R...