Observers' Field Reports 163 



the cut line of Walter's survey for the railway line at the 91-rnile peg from Kingoonyah, 

 and followed this to Wynbring Rock-Hole. We arrived there September 15, and found 

 that the recent rain had put some water in the main hole. Some smaller rock-holes 

 had water in them, but those large ones reported by Furner on his preliminary survey 

 to have been cleaned out now contained dead dingoes, and water green and unfit to 

 drink. One large rock-hole contained the body of a camel which had perished in at- 

 tempts to obtain water. P'eed was fair, and the country was thickly timbered with 

 small myall and black oak somewhat wilted by the drought. Wynbring main rock is 

 a dome-shaped granite outcrop 400 yards around and about 30 feet high. The main 

 rock-hole is a cleft 25 feet long and 4 feet wide at the widest part. The water stood at 



3 feet 6 inches below high-water mark. 



The camels' backs had begun to show signs of bruising, owing to the bumping of 

 the loads against trees. I ordered the loads of those in the worst state to be transferred 

 to 2 riding camels. From then onward we had only one riding camel amongst the four 

 of us, which entailed much walking. On September 17, we watered the camels and set 

 out for Ooldea Water, a distance of 110 miles. 



On September 19, I met Mr. Chalmers, who was making the survey for a railway. 

 He stated that feed was poor to Ooldea, where it was good, there being much parakelia 

 plant in that place; and that there were several areas containing poison bush to be avoided 

 on the road. 



At a point 56^ miles east from Ooldea Bore, observations were obtained. The 

 camels arrived at Ooldea Water, a small soakage 4 miles north of the bore (the latter 

 water containing 5 ounces of solids to the gallon), on September 20, at 11.30 p.m., 

 having traveled 34 miles that day. We had accomplished, by a series of forced marches, 

 the 110 miles of waterless track in 4 days, the latter part of the journey being over heavy 

 sand-hill country. I made observations at Ooldea Bore, and through the kindness of 

 Mr. T. R. Nealyon I was enabled to travel by motor-lorry out on to the Nullarbor Plains, 

 and to make 2 more stations. 



The Nullarbor Plains carried practically no feed whatever, and the next water on 

 the surveyed line from Ooldea Water was at Bore 4 in Western Australia, a distance 

 of 210 miles. I decided, under these circumstances, to travel southward and strike 

 the overland telegraph line at White Well, in order to give the camels water. White 

 Well is distant from Ooldea Water 109 miles. The camels refused the water at Bore A 

 (26 miles west of Ooldea), as it was too salty. By good chance, a sharp shower put 150 

 gallons of water in Nealyon's Rock-Hole, thus shortening the 109-mile dry stage to 75. 



At Nealyon's Rock-Hole I met Mr. Grill, Commonwealth Inspector of Bores, who 

 gave me every possible advice regarding water along the railway survey line in Western 

 Australia. On arriving at White Well October 2, 1914, I telegraphed Mr. Kidson, and 

 then hastened with all possible speed to Eucla, and arrived there October 10, having 

 traveled along the telegraph line from White Well, a distance of 130 miles in 8 days, 

 and having made 3 sets of observations. 



At Eucla I wired to Mr. Kidson that I intended pushing on to No. 4 Bore, a dry 

 stage of 78 miles, and so return to the railway survey line. My plans were to pick out 



4 of the best camels and travel to No. 4 Bore, water the camels, and then journey 36 

 miles east to the border of South Australia and Western Australia, and make a station. 

 Then we were to travel west again, obtaining water at a few places of which Mr. Grill 

 had told us. Having a practical engineer in the party, we would have been enabled 

 to obtain our next water at a bore 83 miles west of No. 4, where there were a steam en- 

 gine and pump but no one there to work it. However, having received a telegram from 

 Mr. Kidson on October 10 to abandon the journey, I sent all the camels back to Hergott 

 Springs. They left Eucla on October 13. 



