Page:Tracks of McKinlay and party across Australia.djvu/121

 nothing to eat but bottled porter. Those gentlemen from "Heligo's Isle," had a cheerful trip, in point of fact a yachting excursion, in comparison, Hyperion to a satyr; but as Sairey Gamp justly observes, "I never likes to protigipate," so I will now my round unvarnished tale deliver.

25th. Our stock consists of twenty-four horses, twelve bullocks, one hundred sheep, and last, though not least, four camels: had we taken the sage advice of our clerical friend who left us for the Burra, our stock would also have been added to, in the shape of fowls, which he told Mr. McKinlay would add greatly to our comfort, as we should then be able to obtain new laid eggs for breakfast. Of course we must wait in the desert while the said fowls were nidifying, horses and camels already packed. Fancy explorers who expect to meet with no end of difficulties, bothering themselves with fowls!

Accompanied now by Mr. Elder and Mr. Stuckey, who was the first to explore beyond this as far as Lake Hope, to which lake we are now bound. Cracks of the stock whip, and clouds of dust denote a mob of cattle for the station; no doubt some of the men who were driving them looked on us as for the last time. It was a dreary walk for the men with the camels, a great part of the way through sand. Mr. McKinlay, with camels and sheep, arrived at a small creek with some