Page:Tracks of McKinlay and party across Australia.djvu/365

 24th. (Camp xli.) We made but a short stage to-day, the bullocks having taken it into their heads to have a ramble; we did not wait for them though, but left Palmer to bring them in. Distance travelled about ten miles, and Mr. McKinlay being doubtful of finding water farther on, and there being some very good here, we camped.

Country passed through to-day very auriferous, plenty of large quartz reefs, and Mr. McKinlay says there is any amount of pipe-clay under the quartz on the hills where he was yesterday; all these are also found in the creeks.

The natives are busy burning away on the ranges some distance west of this, and have been doing so daily ever since we came on the creek. I suppose they are still unaware of our presence, or they would have paid us a visit.

For the last 150 miles at least there have been on the slopes, and on the tops of all the ranges, decaying red-ant hills, not tenanted, but gradually decaying; many of them appearing like sharp spires, and washed in all kinds of shapes by the rain and weather. Perhaps the inhabitants were nomad tribes, and wander about like the other natives. Some of the ant-hills formed quite townships, and were rather curious.

25th. (Camp xlii.) The country passed through to-day was undulating and stony, the quartz-reefs extending all the way on our left, or west of us, as