Spinifex and Sand | Page 2

David W. Carnegie
INTERIOR OF WESTERN
AUSTRALIA

CHAPTER II
MEMBERS AND EQUIPMENT OF EXPEDITION
CHAPTER III
THE JOURNEY BEGINS
CHAPTER IV
WE ENTER THE DESERT
CHAPTER V
WATER AT LAST
CHAPTER VI
WOODHOUSE LAGOON
CHAPTER VII
THE GREAT UNDULATING DESERT OF GRAVEL
CHAPTER VIII
A DESERT TRIBE

CHAPTER IX
DR. LEICHARDT'S LOST EXPEDITION
CHAPTER X
THE DESERT OF PARALLEL SAND-RIDGES
CHAPTER XI
FROM FAMILY WELL TO HELENA SPRING
CHAPTER XII
HELENA SPRING
CHAPTER XIII
FROM HELENA SPRING TO THE SOUTHESK TABLELANDS.
CHAPTER XIV
DEATH OF STANSMORE
CHAPTER XV
WELLS EXPLORING EXPEDITION
CHAPTER XVI
KIMBERLEY
CHAPTER XVII
ABORIGINALS AT HALL'S CREEK
CHAPTER XVIII
PREPARATIONS FOR THE RETURN JOURNEY APPENDIX TO
PART V SOME NATIVE WEAPONS AND
CEREMONIAL IMPLEMENTS

PART VI
THE JOURNEY HOME

CHAPTER I
RETURN JOURNEY BEGINS
CHAPTER II

STURT CREEK AND "GREGORY'S SALT SEA"
CHAPTER III
OUR CAMP ON THE "SALT SEA"
CHAPTER IV
DESERT ONCE MORE
CHAPTER V
STANSMORE RANGE TO LAKE MACDONALD
CHAPTER VI
LAKE MACDONALD TO THE DEEP ROCK-HOLES
CHAPTER VII
THE LAST OF THE RIDGES OF DRIFT SAND
CHAPTER VIII
WOODHOUSE LAGOON REVISITED
CHAPTER IX
ACROSS LAKE WELLS TO LAKE DARLOT
CHAPTER X
THE END OF THE EXPEDITION
APPENDIX

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
(45 illustrations appeared in the original text, published in 1898. They
have not been reproduced in this etext.)
HON. D. W. CARNEGIE JARRAH FOREST, WEST AUSTRALIA
GENERAL STORE AND POST-OFFICE, COOLGARDIE, 1892 THE
FIRST HOTEL AT COOLGARDIE THE "GOLD ESCORT" GRASS
TREES, NEAR PERTH DEATH OF "TOMMY" FRESH MEAT AT
LAST BAYLEY STREET, COOLGARDIE, 1894 CONDENSING
WATER ON A SALT LAKE FEVER-STRICKEN AND ALONE
MINER'S RIGHT TYPICAL SANDSTONE GORGE CROSSING A
SALT LAKE ENTRANCE TO EMPRESS SPRING AT WORK IN
THE CAVE, EMPRESS SPRING ALEXANDER SPRING
WOODHOUSE LAGOON A BUCK AND HIS GINS IN CAMP AT
FAMILY WELL CRESTING A SAND-RIDGE HELENA SPRING
THE ONLY SPECIMEN OF DESERT ARCHITECTURE THE MAD
BUCK SOUTHESK TABLELANDS A NATIVE HUNTING PARTY

PLAN OF SAND-RIDGES EXAGGERATED SECTION OF THE
SAND-RIDGES CHARLES W. STANSMORE NATIVE
PREPARING FOR THE EMU DANCE SPEARS TOMAHAWKS
BOOMERANGS CLUBS AND THROWINQ-STICKS SHIELDS
QUARTZ KNIFE CEREMONIAL STICKS RAIN-MAKING
BOARDS MESSAGE STICKS GROUP OF EXPLORERS JUST IN
TIME A WILD ESCORT OF NEARLY ONE HUNDRED MEN
ESTABLISHING FRIENDLY RELATIONS THE TAIL-END OF A
MISERABLE CARAVAN A KARRI TIMBER TRAIN A PEARL
SHELL STATION, BROOME, N.W. AUSTRALIA

* * * * * * * * * *

PART I EARLY DAYS IN COOLGARDIE

CHAPTER I

EARLY DAYS IN THE COLONY
In the month of September, 1892, Lord Percy Douglas (now Lord
Douglas of Hawick) and I, found ourselves steaming into King
George's Sound--that magnificent harbour on the south-west coast of
Western Australia--building castles in the air, discussing our prospects,
and making rapid and vast imaginary fortunes in the gold-mines of that
newly-discovered land of Ophir. Coolgardie, a district then unnamed,
had been discovered, and Arthur Bayley, a persevering and lucky
prospector, had returned to civilised parts from the "bush," his
packhorses loaded with golden specimens from the famous mine which
bears his name. I suppose the fortunate find of Bayley and his mate,
Ford, has turned the course of events in the lives of many tens of
thousands of people, and yet, as he jogged along the track from
Gnarlbine Rock to Southern Cross, I daresay his thoughts reverted to
his own life, and the good time before him, rather than to moralising on
the probable effect of his discovery on others.

We spent as little time as possible at Albany, or, I should say, made our
stay as short as was permitted, for in those days the convenience of the
passenger was thought little of, in comparison with the encouragement
of local industries, so that mails and travellers alike were forced to
remain at least one night in Albany by the arrangement of the train
service, greatly to the benefit of the hotel-keepers.
We were somewhat surprised to see the landlord's daughters waiting at
table. They were such tremendously smart and icy young ladies that at
first we were likely to mistake them for guests; and even when sure of
their identity we were too nervous to ask for anything so vulgar as a pot
of beer, or to expect them to change our plates.
Between Albany and Perth the country is not at all interesting being for
the most part flat, scrubby, and sandy, though here and there are rich
farming and agricultural districts. Arrived at Perth we found ourselves a
source of great interest to the inhabitants, inasmuch as we announced
our intention of making our way to the goldfields, while we had neither
the means nor apparently the capability of getting there. Though treated
with great hospitality, we found it almost impossible to get any
information or assistance, all our inquiries being answered by some
scoffing remark, such as, "Oh, you'll never
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