Several Parties Of Prospectors Have Been To Lake Wells, And At First We
Followed A Regular Pad; However, It Did Not Seem To Be Going Very Direct,
So We Left It.
Between Lake Wells and Lake Darlot - a distance of about
130 miles - the country consists of open mulga thickets
With a coarse
undergrowth of grass, alternating with spinifex desert and sand.
Occasional low cliffs and ridges occur, and nearer Lake Darlot numerous
ranges, from which the Erlistoun Creek takes its rise. Amongst these
hills we saw the first auriferous country since leaving the vicinity of
Hall's Creek, and in the Erlistoun the first permanent water (probably)
since leaving the Sturt Creek, a distance of about 800 miles. A narrow
belt of grass and salt-bush fringes the Erlistoun, and in the winter looks
healthy and succulent; however, a few months soon alters that, and in the
summer all is parched and yellow. How pleasant it was to see such
country, after the dreary desert! Tracks and roads were now numerous as
we approached civilisation. The same lake lay between us and the
settlement that had caused Conley, Egan, and myself so much trouble in
former days. Choosing the same narrow channel where I had formerly
crossed, we managed very fairly well. Most of the camels bogged, but some
did not, nor did the horses, and our loads now consisted of little else
but the saddles, and were therefore no great weight to carry. The weather
was lovely now, bright warm days and frosty nights; unfortunately this
tends to sharpen the appetite, which we had small means of satisfying.
For the last ten days we had had nothing but damper, and not much of
that, on which we spread tinned milk which had previously been discarded
as unfit for use, being dark brown instead of white, and almost solid.
Nevertheless it was better than nothing; a ten hours' march, begun on an
empty stomach, and finished on a slice of bread, cannot be indulged in
for many days before it leaves its mark. We were not sorry, therefore, to
reach Lake Darlot township on July 15th, and, choosing a nice spot, made
camp. This day we saw the first white face since April 9th, and our
journey was practically over.
The excellent feed growing all over the flats near Lake Darlot gave us a
good opportunity of recruiting our animals' strength. For nearly a month
we moved slowly about between Lake Darlot and Lawlers prospecting in a
desultory sort of way. Our departure from the former place was deeply
regretted - by the butcher, whose trade had increased by leaps and bounds
during our stay. "I never see'd coves as could stack mutton like you
chaps," he said, in satisfied wonder; "why, a whole blooming sheep don't
seem to last you a day; can't ye stop until I get some bullocks up the
track?" Certainly that was the best fresh mutton I have ever tasted, and
no doubt we DID do our duty by it.
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