get the horse, but on foot in the first place they could never have
done it, and in the second place, when they returned, they said they
could not find him at all. I sent others, but to no purpose, and
eventually had to leave the place without getting him, and returned
empty-handed to the depot, having had my journey and lost my time for
nothing.

There was but poor feed at the water-hole, every teamster and
traveller always camping there. Some few natives appeared at the camp,
and brought some boys and girls. An old man said he could get me a
flour-bag full of salt up the creek, so I despatched him for it; he
brought back a little bit of dirty salty gravel in one hand, and
expected a lot of flour, tea, sugar, meat, tobacco, and clothes for
it; but I considered my future probable requirements, and refrained
from too much generosity. A nice little boy called Albert agreed to
come with us, but the old man would not allow him--I suppose on
account of the poor reward he got for his salt. A young black fellow
here said he had found a white man's musket a long way up the creek,
and that he had got it in his wurley, and would give it to me for
flour, tea, sugar, tobacco, matches, and clothes. I only promised
flour, and away he went to get the weapon. Next day he returned, and
before reaching the camp began to yell, "White fellow mukkety, white
fellow mukkety." I could see he had no such thing in his hands, but
when he arrived he unfolded a piece of dirty old pocket handkerchief,
from which he produced--what? an old discharged copper revolver
cartridge. His reward was commensurate with his prize.

The expedition consisted of four members--namely, myself, Mr. William
Henry Tietkins, Alfred Gibson, and James Andrews, with twenty-four
horses and two little dogs. On Friday, the 1st of August, 1873, we
were prepared to start, but rain stopped us; again on Sunday some more
fell. We finally left the encampment on the morning of Monday, the
4th.

CHAPTER 2.1. FROM THE 4TH TO THE 22ND AUGUST, 1873.

Leave for the west.
Ascend the Alberga.
An old building.
Rain, thunder, and lightning.
Leave Alberga for the north-west.
Drenched in the night.
Two lords of the soil.
Get their conge.
Water-holes.
Pretty amphitheatre.
Scrubs on either side.
Watering the horses.
A row of saplings.
Spinifex and poplars.
Dig a tank.
Hot wind.
A broken limb.
Higher hills.
Flat-topped hills.
Singular cones.
Better country.
A horse staked.