Observers' Field Reports 167 



of feed. The usual time of starting was about 9 o'clock and of camping about 3 o'clock, 

 the day's journey averaging 16 miles on fair roads, but sometimes not more than 12 

 miles in sand-hill country, where the going was heavy. 



From Leonora to Lawlers (85 miles) and Wiluna (220 miles) the country is typical 

 of the Western Australian gold-fields. It consists in general of flat country with low 

 ridges here and there, which often rise very abruptly and are termed breakaways. On 

 these ridges the surface is rubbly or rocky, while on the flats it is composed of a red 

 sandy loam which produces a fine dust, very difficult to remove. The underlying rocks 

 are, as a rule, granitic or dioritic, the former being intrusive in the latter. A great part 

 is covered by "mulga scrub," an acacia about 10 to 20 feet high, with succulent needle- 

 like leaves, which is good feed for camels and is also eaten by sheep and cattle. Be- 

 tween the mulga bushes grow salt-bush (extremely important as feed), various herbs, 

 and, after rain, grasses. A great part of the surface is, however, usually bare. The 

 mulga is sometimes replaced by other varieties of scrub, and along the occasional creek 

 beds, which are dry except after rains, various kinds of eucalyptus grow. In this par- 

 ticular season, after several dry years, the mulga and salt-bush were in a very bad state. 

 In fact, so much was killed that the camels fared poorly. Grass was also very poor 

 and scarce. 



The towns are very small mining towns with hotels, stores, a bank, mining regis- 

 trar, blacksmith, saddler, post-office, etc. Lawlers was reached May 25, and Wiluna 

 June 2. At Wiluna the final supply of provisions was taken on, and civilization was 

 left on June 5. From here on spinifex, a coarse, hummocky, spiky grass, became much 

 more plentiful. This spinifex grows in the worst country in Australia, particularly 

 where there is moving sand. It is useless as feed. 



All along the stock route between Wiluna and Halls Creek, wells or natural waters 

 occur at an average distance of about 15 miles. The wells were sunk to supply travel- 

 ing cattle for which the route was opened up. For various reasons, however, only two 

 attempts to traverse the track with herds of cattle were made, so that it had been aban- 

 doned for nearly three years before our own crossing. The wells and waters are num- 

 bered in order from south to north. Before leaving Wiluna we were urgently advised 

 by all to take no risks whatever with the Blackfellows, who were regarded as teacherous 

 and unreliable. 



From Wiluna to No. 1 1 Well at Goodwin Soak, the surface of the country is of red 

 soil similar to that of the gold fields. The supply of feed was fair to No. 3 Well, as 

 there had been recent rains, and a considerable number of kangaroos, wild turkeys, 

 galahs (red and slate-colored cockatoos), and other birds were seen, also the tracks of 

 a number of dingoes. 



No. 4 Well is at the foot of a fairly high range of hills near the shore of Lake 

 Naberu, a typical lake of the interior of Western Australia. These lakes of the interior 

 are dry, except after heavy rains, and their beds are covered with deposits of salts. As 

 there is water usually but a short distance below the bed, very good bush and herbage 

 are often found on the shores and sometimes even on the lake-bed. This season, how- 

 ever, the lake was quite dry and vegetation parched. Cattle were on the south side of 

 the lake where a shower had filled some water-holes and some grass had grown. 



On the north side of the Naberu system is Windich Spring No. 4A Water, where 

 there is a permanent pool. It was here that we saw the last cattle. Dingoes were 

 plentiful around our camp at this water. 



Passing down the creek-bed leading from Windich Spring, we came upon several 

 water-holes and startled a number of turkeys, water-hens, ducks, and galahs. Some of 

 the ducks and galahs were shot for food. Leaving the creek, the road led to No. 5 

 Well through flat, clay-pan country with mulga, salt-bush, and herbage, which, how- 

 ever, were all very dry. 



