Page:Tracks of McKinlay and party across Australia.djvu/190

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146
TRACKS ACROSS AUSTRALIA.

treme point of north bank nine miles. Bullenjani informed us that a large lake lay on a bearing of 110°, some distance off, named Mum Murri Ando. At 10·15 started on a fresh course of 64°, crossing, 11·15, a small salt lake, rapidly drying up. At 11·30 altered course to 100°. At 11·35 to 12·50 spelled on sand hill, waiting for the camels, they feeling the effects of the steep sand hill. At 1·9 altered course to 116°; at 1·15 altered course to 161°; at 1·53 changed to 47°; and at 2·20 reached Lake Kadhiberri. Found plenty of water, and watered the horses (the camels some distance behind quite unable to keep up), and at once proceeded northward along the side of a large, beautifully-timbered, grassed, and clovered swamp (or creek, about one and a half miles across), to ascertain the fact as to the presence of a European, dead or alive, and there found a grave rudely formed by the natives; evidently not one of themselves, sufficient pains not having been taken, and from other appearances, at once set it down as the grave of a white, be he who he may. Returned to lake to await the coming of the camels, which was not till about 5 p.m. Determined in the morning to have the grave opened and ascertain its contents. Whilst I went to top of sand hills, looking round me, Mr. Hodgkinson strayed a short distance to some old deserted native huts, a short distance off, and