Page:Tracks of McKinlay and party across Australia.djvu/363

 were washed or worn by the rain and weather into some diversity of shape. Again we are with Mr, Davis.

April 22nd. (Camp xl.) Started early this morning. Very cold. Wind from the south. The journey was through a varied country, after crossing a good-sized creek and several smaller ones. The larger one had a fine sand and gravelly bed, with large trees on its banks of quite a new description. Mr. McKinlay, who has been in the colony thirty years or more, has never seen them. They had a short, broad, dark leaf, and saplings growing all round the bottom. We passed a creek to the right. The country here is splendidly grassed up to the ranges, which are some distance off, though we are approaching them fast. Several more well-wooded creeks, sandy bottoms, the last we came to we went down some short distance, and camped at the junction of two creeks, in one of which Palmer found a piece of copper ore. No end of quartz and mica to be seen. Gathered some seeds. Cold roast beef for dinner, hot sirloin, if you please, for supper.

23rd. This morning the horses were not to be found, and when they were, only a part were brought in, the others had gone back on the old tracks, the sheep and bullocks sent ahead, and two men after the horses. The fellows who brought in part of the horses got McKinlay's