Page:Tracks of McKinlay and party across Australia.djvu/127

 beautiful lake (Camel, see illustration), named by Mr. McKinlay.

9th. Went round the western side of the lake. Peter and Sambo absconded after getting shirts, etc.; had to retrace our steps, having mistaken the dry top of a creek for a lake. Started about 7 and crossed creek.

11th. Mr. McKinlay started on the 11th with two camels, Mr. Middleton, and a native, with provisions and water, for whites said to be in the interior; they saw about 200 natives, apparently friendly. Horses rambled away about ten miles but were brought back again in the afternoon. Short hobbled them and went to roost. Shifted camp in the morning to better water, which the leader has named Poole's Pond, after Bobby Poole, one of the party. Plenty of natives about, but quite friendly. Wild ducks in numbers. Sewed a couple of sheepskins on the packs to prevent them from chafing. The skins, as we killed the sheep, came in very useful.

12th. Two of the bullocks missing; the driver went after them, and did not return till late the following day; they had gone back as far as Lake Hope. The water at the lake Mr. McKinlay found while he was out scouring the country is very bad indeed, in fact almost undrinkable; fortunately we had some other in our canteens. Water the horses from a canvas trough, as the sides of