The water-fowl
are numerous, but rather shy, not nearly so much so, however, as
those on the creeks between here and Carpentaria; and I am
convinced that the shyness of the latter, which was also remarked
by Sturt on his trip to Eyre's Creek, arises entirely from the
scarcity of animals, both human and otherwise, and not from any
peculiar mode of catching them that the blacks may have.
From Camp 3.
Friday, 26th April, 1861.--Last night was beautifully calm and
comparatively warm, although the sky was very clear. We loaded the
camels by moonlight this morning, and started at a quarter to six:
striking off to the south of the creek, we soon got on a native
path which leaves the creek just below the stony ground and takes a
course nearly west across a piece of open country, bounded on the
south by sand ridges and on the north by the scrub by ground which
flanks the bank of the creek at this part of its course. Leaving
the path on our right at a distance of three miles, we turned up a
small creek, which passes down between some sandhills, and finding
a nice patch of feed for the camels at a waterhole, we halted at 7.
15 for breakfast.
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