Page:Tracks of McKinlay and party across Australia.djvu/265

 a dreary spot. A heavy timbered creek comes in from south-west into the desert, and appears in the distance to have a tributary from east-south-east; the timber ceases as it comes on to the open desert plain, between four and five miles from this. Quite an unbroken horizon to the west of north-west for some distance. The sand hills that are in view are small and detached.

"25th. Started back, and got to water just in time to give the horses about half as much as they could drink, and a little for ourselves; rapid evaporation has taken place since we left yesterday, for then there was enough for a hundred horses, now there is not half enough for our eight, so must make for one of the permanent waters south of this to-morrow; have to close-hobble our horses and tie their heads down to them to prevent them straying too far; strong breeze from the southward.

"Sunday, 26th. Started at 7 for Coonhadie, a rain-water watering-place in desert, but found it quite dry; start for camp, Hayward's Creek, and arrived at 1 ; distance about twenty-nine and a quarter miles direct from place to place, but we made it more, being obliged to go round to avoid sand hills and rounding Lake Hodgkinson. The horses stood much in need of water, and seemed to enjoy it much from quantity they drank, and the time they took about it. It was fortunate for us that the weather was cool for the season of the year. Wind south and east; found all right at the camp, and the men that were ailing much improved. The water in the creek is diminishing gradually, about three-quarters of an inch per day."

27th. Still at Hayward's Creek; we are employed to-day, merely to keep us in working order, in putting up a verandah to McKinlay's palace. Nice work, very, with thermometer 120° or 130°. A great argument at dinner to-day, Middleton and Palmer v. Wylde, as to distance to a certain spot;