g trip
into the district lying between Giles's track of 1876 and Forrest's route
of 1874. Starting from his depot at Welbundinum, he completed the
examination of what was practically the whole of the still unexplored
portion in about six weeks, between the 23rd of February and the 4th of
April. During this expedition he travelled 834 miles, discovered some
fine ranges and hills, a large extent of pastoral country, some
apparently auriferous land, but no water of a permanent kind. The results
were indeed very promising, more valuable than those of the original
Elder Expedition, and Wells, whose hopes had risen with the success, was
intensely disappointed to find on his return that the expedition had been
disbanded. Both Lindsay and Wells were natives of South Australia,
Lindsay having been born at Goolwa, and Wells at Yallum station in the
south-east, which was owned by his father and uncle. Wells joined the
Survey Department of South Australia when but eighteen, and at
twenty-three was appointed assistant-surveyor to the North Territory
Border expedition. On the settlement of the border question he returned
to Adelaide, and is now engaged on the Victoria River.

20.3. WELLS AND CARNEGIE IN THE NORTHERN DESERT.

[Illustration. L.A. Wells. Photo: Duryea, Adelaide.]

By this time the gold rush to the southern portion of Western Australia
had set in strong, and the country that had so long repelled the pastoral
pioneer by its aridity was now overrun with prospectors, their camps
supplied with water by condensers at the salt lakes and pools. At first
the loss of life was very great; for it was not likely that a district
that could be safely traversed only by the hardiest and most experienced
bushmen would freely yield its secrets to untried men. Of the many deaths
that occurred from thirst, no complete record will ever be available.
Some unrecognisable and mummified remains may some day be found amid the
untrodden waste; but few have yet been tempted to break in upon the
solitude of the dead men of the desert.

As the southern goldfields spread and became thickly-populated, the food
supply was an important question, and men's eyes naturally turned to the
well-stocked northern stations, from which many cattle were being sent
south by steamer. Though the distance overland was not prohibitive, the
belt of desert country that intervened, upon which Warburton to his
sorrow was the first to venture, forbade the passage of stock