Page:Tracks of McKinlay and party across Australia.djvu/259

 country they shall see next, or whether they will find water at the camping place, even if they tried till 12 o'clock at night? Yes, such is the lot of an explorer, and a hard life and a jolly one, no care for the morrow, no duns to fear and no debts incurred. It is a primitive life, but as before said a jolly one; but there is one thing wanting, it is the smile and solace of gentle woman!

After that I must take a cooler before dinner.

This would have been a pleasant, cool, and pretty camp, but fate and bad water conspired against us, so now after stopping a short time to rest, proceed to Lake Hodgkinson. The water had gone bad since it was visited by Hodgkinson. Very sultry, and looking like rain. I hope we shall not be disappointed. On our way to the creek we passed a fine lake, and to every appearance with water in it. The natives who were with us were even deceived, and McKinlay has called it "Deception Lake," for all of us were regularly sold by its appearance.

We arrived at Lake Hodgkinson, and found it much dried up, and the water quite bitter; so we