Page:Tracks of McKinlay and party across Australia.djvu/130

 that it is with his permission), but the book would not be complete were we to omit any incident that occurred during the journey. We will now leave the detachment under McKinlay and proceed with a short detail of what took place in the interim.

After the party left us, we remained at Kierie Creek, expecting to remain there as a depôt camp till Mr. McKinlay's return. Lots of natives camped here on our arrival, but left with the detachment, and we saw no more of them till the following afternoon, when a "lubra" (English, a wife) arrived with a letter from the leader, ordering us to go to a lake about nine or ten miles further on. She was accompanied by three or four lubras and several men, and appeared as friendly as possible.

Being too late to proceed there to-night, got everything ready for an early start in the morning; and glad we were of it, for McKinlay had ordered us to clear all the bushes away round the camp for the space of two or three hundred yards, and with the thermometer at 124°, I think, dear reader, you will coincide with me, when I say we were delighted to have to move camp to a fine lake, as the next intended depôt was represented to be.

A magnificent night, the moon shining as if she were idle, or had nothing else to do, and the clear blue of the Australian sky; all Nature