True it is, though, that even this
poverty-stricken plant has its uses, for it serves to bind the sand and
keep the ridges, for the most part, compact. Where spinifex does not
grow, for instance on the tops of the ridges, one realises how impossible
a task it would be to travel for long over banks of loose sand.
I find that my estimate for the average height of the sand-ridges is
considerably lower than that of Colonel Warburton. It is interesting,
therefore, to compare his account of these ridges, though it must be
remembered that Colonel Warburton was travelling on a westerly course,
and we from our northerly direction only traversed country previously
seen by him, for the short distance that our sight would command, at the
point of intersection of our two tracks. In an editorial note in his book
we read: -
"They varied considerably both in their size and in their distance from
each other, but eighty feet may be regarded as an average in the former
respect and three hundred yards in the latter.
"They ran parallel to each other in an East and West direction, so that
while pursuing either of these courses the travellers kept in the
valleys, formed by two of them, and got along without much exertion. It
was when it became necessary to cross them at a great angle that the
strain on the camels proved severe, for on the slopes their feet sank
deeply into the sand, and their labours were most distressing to
witness."
CHAPTER XI
FROM FAMILY WELL TO HELENA SPRING
On leaving Family Well it was suggested by Charlie and Godfrey that we
should take one of our native friends with us. No doubt this would have
been the most sensible plan, and would have saved us much trouble.
However, I did not care to take either of the females, the sick man was
evidently of no use to us, and it was pretty evident that the sound buck
was the chief hunter, and that without him, the little tribe would be
hard pressed to find food. As we were not in absolute need of water for a
few days to come, I decided to leave the family in quiet enjoyment of
their accustomed surroundings. I had now given up all hope of finding any
other than desert country ahead of us, and had no longer any other
purpose than that of traversing the region that lay between us and
"white settlements" with as little harm to ourselves and our camels as
care and caution could command. Our course was now North-East, as it was
necessary to make more easting to bring us near the longitude of Hall's
Creek.
