26th. This morning broke fine and clear. Mr. McKinlay deposited documents under a tree, against which our tent was pitched—the tree being marked —
MK
Dec. 23, 24, 25,
61.
Dig.
Started about 8 a.m. Going to the north end of lake. We, with the camels, took a short cut, and came on to the cart crossing a creek. McKinlay had gone in a straight course for another lake, and we followed on his tracks, and came up to the cart in a very short time. The horses were long after us. Had they followed us they would have been all right. There are lots of natives on and about this creek; its name, "Appam-barra." Got here about 11 a.m. Plenty of water in the creek, which abounds with fish. We camped on a small tributary of this creek. Feed not very good. Any quantity of crawfish here also.
Country looks very hard and bare; no vegetation to speak of, great numbers of salt, polygonum, samphire, and other kinds of bushes. The natives are a fine, healthy race of men, the women as usual rather small and insipid-looking; they always accompany the men when they visit us. Mr. McKinlay distributed a quantity of necklaces and bracelets to them all. They are as
