Page:Tracks of McKinlay and party across Australia.djvu/101

 could exceed the kindness shown to Mr. McKinlay and his six companions by Mr. and Mrs. Poole, who did everything that could conduce to their comfort and enjoyment—pigeon match in the morning, champagne lunch after, and other little pleasantnesses for the jolly fellows who were there.

16th.—On the 16th Mr. McKinlay and two others of his party started by train with four camels to Kapunda,some twenty-five miles further, where the horses, with the detachment, would be ready to receive him, having preceded him the day before. On arrival at Kapunda, a little incident occurred to one of the crew—a young lady stepped out of the train, who proved to be the idol of his affections. Poor fellow! his look of agony! little did he think he should have to say again the word farewell. But the lady was not to be deprived of her "last fond look," and she pressed to the front at the start in the morning, seeing us all off, and one of us more particularly, with a reciprocal good-bye, and a vigorous agitation of kerchiefs.

An accident happened just now, the cart, after having been packed as full as possible, was found, on its arrival at the "Sir John Franklin Hotel" from the railway terminus, to have its axle bent to that extent that it would not be safe to proceed; so that Mr. McKinlay, with the driver, was obliged