THE AUSTRALIAN MUSEmi MAGAZINE. 



215 



ingly endless waste composed of sand, 

 gibbers, and salt bush, while here and 

 there emus and kangaroos would be 

 seen, either feeding unconcernedly, or 

 scampering away to a safe distance at 

 our nearer approach. 



At Maree, two days' journey from 

 Adelaide, we detrained and all ])repara- 

 tions were made for transferring the 

 equipment to the camel team which 

 was to convey it to the Frome River, 

 where the main base was to have been 

 made. The team driver, however, 

 who had just completed a round-up of 

 camels in the country close to the lake, 

 informed us, much to our dismay, that 

 the lake was almost dry, and, where 

 our photographs showed water, there 

 was only a treacherous m\id and salt 

 marsh, making it impossible to use the 

 boat. 



To investigate this report, some of 

 us left Maree for the lake in a camel 

 buggy, and, after a very trying day's 

 travelling over undulating sand hills 

 and through gibber country, which was 

 here and there dotted with clumps of 

 salt bush and prickly acacia, the only 

 flora which will thrive there, we arrived 

 at the Government Camel Station at 

 Muloorina. Next morning a further 

 start was made for the lake, and, as the 

 sand was beginning to get nuich softer, 

 two more camels had to be attached to 

 the buggy. Unfortunately these two 

 camels were rather fresh and com- 

 menced to play up, thereby frightening 

 the other two^ and all four bolted and 

 were soon tearing along at their highest 

 speed with the buggy swaying peril- 

 ously behind. They "did not pull up 

 until our driver steered them into the 

 thick shrub surrounding a water hole ; 

 even then they continued on through 

 this, almost capsizing the buggy, and, 

 Avhen they were eventually brought to 

 a halt by the density of the undergrowth 

 a genuine sigh of relief was given. 



After this little escapade they be- 

 haved well for the rest of the trip to the 

 lake, where we saw a most disappointing 

 sight ; for instead of water, there was, 

 as far as they eye could see, nothing but 

 soft treacherous mud, covered with a 



The country passed through on the way to 



South Lake Eyre. The stream is an 



overflow from an artesian bore. 



[Plioto.— //. O. Fletcher. 



coating of white glistening salt. Re- 

 turning reluctantly to Maree, we de- 

 cided that it was" impossible to make 

 any investigations on North Lake Eyre, 

 and so our attention was turned ta 

 South Lake Eyre, the southern shores 

 of Avhich could be reached from the 

 railway line about thirty miles north 

 from Maree. As the next train north 

 to Oodnadatta was not due for two 

 weeks, we arranged with the railway 

 authorities for the hire of one of their 

 motor trolleys, which went by the name 

 of •• Casey "jones," and a very inter- 

 esting journey was made as far as the 

 lake cottages, the nearest point to the 

 lake. 



Some very interesting country was. 

 passed through during this thirty -mile 

 trip to the cottages, the line at times 

 being hardly visible owing to the 

 shifting of the sand caused by the 

 winds, while a short time after we 

 would be rattling across single line 

 bridges, spanning some of the gullies, 

 at our fastest speed, which was about 

 fourteen miles an hour. Large mobs of 

 emus and numerous kangaroos were 

 passed, while various species of inter- 

 esting and rare birds were observed. 



