Page:Tracks of McKinlay and party across Australia.djvu/243

dray crossing. At 8·45 arrived at about one mile west of dry lake Toondow-low-annie; centre bearing of lake, north and south, three miles, by a width, east and west, of one and a half miles; well grassed. At ten and a quarter miles passed south end of lake, and travelled on flooded ground on west side of CarideiTO Creek, in which there is water, to where we cut the Cariderro Creek, about sixteen miles, at a place in the creek where a large creek branches off east, and fills a large lake, now dry; abundance of feed. Lake called Mar-courgannie, and found water in creek—a short distance south, from which quarter it appears to come. It is a splendid gum creek, from 80 to 100 yards wide, and fifteen to twenty feet deep, and flows a northward course. Started after spelling a time, and went one and a quarter mile, on bearing of 239° to Appa-dar-annie, now a dry lake with abundance of good feed in its bed; then went south by east, eight miles, along the Cariderro Creek. It is a splendid one, and well lined with fine gum trees; and as far as we went, I may say, was one continuous sheet of water, and with not less than from 200 to 300 natives. I have named it Browne Creek, after "W. H. Browne, Esq. Many of the natives have, apparently, quite white hair and beards; they were particularly anxious that we should encamp with them; they were the first tribe that we fell in with so fully armed, every man with a shield and a lot of boomerangs, and some with spears. I thought it better not to camp there, as they had a good deal of sneaking, and concealing themselves from bush to bush, and might have brought about a disturbance, which I did not desire. Took some water in air bags, and started out from the creek, one and a quarter mile; then on a bearing of 5' for Appacal-ra-dillie Lake, seven miles fully. Crossed, and camped on east corner of dry lake Mar-cour-gannie, and on the margin of the dry lake Merrada-booda-boo; the bulk of this last lake bearing north from this, and splendidly grassed.

"31st. Started at 6·30 a.m. to Appacal-ra-dillie Lake, through side of Lake Merrada-booda-boo; passed several flooded flats proceeding east from last-named dry lake—the first of which was an extensive one, passing on our