the water
does show on the surface, call them springs. The water is always
running underneath the sand, but in certain places it becomes
impregnated with mineral and salty formations, which gives the water a
disagreeable taste. This peculiar drain no doubt rises in the western
portions of the McDonnell Range, not far from where I traced it to,
and runs for over 500 miles straight in a general south-westerly
direction, finally entering the northern end of Lake Eyre. It drains
an enormous area of Central South Australia, and on the parallels of
24, 25, 26 degrees of south latitude, no other stream exists between
it and the Murchison or the Ashburton, a distance in either case of
nearly 1,100 miles, and thus it will be seen it is the only Central
Australian river.

On the 21st of November we reached the telegraph line at the junction
of the Finke and the Hugh. The weather during this month, and almost
to its close, was much cooler than the preceding one. The horses were
divided between us--Robinson getting six, Carmichael four, and I five.
Carmichael and Robinson went down the country, in company, in advance
of me, as fast as they could. I travelled more slowly by myself. One
night, when near what is called the Horse-shoe bend of the Finke, I
had turned out my horses, and as it seemed inclined to rain, was
erecting a small tent, and on looking round for the tomahawk to drive
a stake into the ground, was surprised to notice a very handsome
little black boy, about nine or ten years old, quite close to me. I
patted him on the head, whereupon he smiled very sweetly, and began to
talk most fluently in his own language. I found he interspersed his
remarks frequently with the words Larapinta, white fellow, and
yarraman (horses). He told me two white men, Carmichael and Robinson,
and ten horses, had gone down, and that white fellows, with horses and
camel drays (Gosse's expedition), had just gone up the line. While we
were talking, two smaller boys came up and were patted, and patted me
in return.

The water on the surface here was bitter, and I had not been able to
find any good, but these little imps of iniquity took my tin billy,
scratched a hole in the sand, and immediately procured delicious
water; so I got them to help to water the horses. I asked the elder
boy, whom I christened Tommy, if he would come along with me and the
yarramans; of these they seemed very fond, as they began kissing while
helping to water them. Tom