The Skeletons And Carcasses Of Camels And Horses
Tell A Tale Of Suffering That No Man Who Has Travelled Can Look At
Unmoved, And Go To Show That Many A Beast Of Burden Has Been Less
Fortunate Than His Masters.
With what eager anxiety the shovelsful are watched, when the expected
"bottom" is nearly reached, by man and beast alike, who, utterly weary and
absolutely parched, know that they are soon to learn their fate.
The
horses snort and plunge in eager and impatient expectation, whilst the
patient camel contents himself with grunts and moans, though, as his knees
are probably strapped beneath him, he cannot protest more forcibly. At
length, perhaps, all are rewarded by the welcome sight of a tiny trickle
in one corner, or perhaps the hole turns out a "duffer," and the weary,
weary work must be commenced again in a fresh spot.
In many cases these granite rocks have been utilised as a catchment area
for tanks, into which the water is led by drains, which encircle the foot
of the outcrop. Before the railway was built, such tanks, sunk by
Government along the Southern Cross-Coolgardie track, enabled teamsters to
bring their horses through with safety, which would otherwise have been
impossible at some seasons of the year.
I append a table showing cost and contents of Government tanks excavated
at the base of granite rocks between Southern Cross and Coolgardie: -
Name of Reservoir. Cost (pounds). Contents in Cost per Million
Gallons. Gallons (pounds).
Reen's Soak 3,246 900,000 3,607
Kararawalgee 2,947 1,250,000 2,858
Boorabbin 3,025 900,000 3,461
Woolgangee 3,825 1,2501000 3,100
Bullabulling 4,118 1,250,000 3,294
Coolgardie (No, 1) 1,167 800,000 1,454
Coolgardie (No.
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