er the horses to drive
them on to a more favourable place, while Kekwick and I remained to cover
our rear. We soon got in advance of those who were endeavouring to cut us
off, but they still kept following, though beyond the reach of our guns,
the fearful yelling still continuing from more numerous voices, and fires
springing up in every direction. It being now quite dark, with the
country scrubby, and our enemies bold and daring, we could be easily
surrounded and destroyed by such determined fellows as they have shown
themselves to be. Seeing there is no hope with such fearful odds (ten to
one at least) against us, and knowing all the disadvantages under which
we labour, I very unwillingly make up my mind to push on to our last
night's camp. We have done so, and now I have had a little time to
consider the matter over I do not think it prudent to remain here
to-night; I shall therefore continue on until I reach the open grassy
plain or gum creek. They are still following us up; I only wish that I
had four more men, for my party is so small that we can only fall back
and act on the defensive. If I were to stand and fight them (which I wish
I could) our horses must remain unprotected, and we, in all probability,
should be cut off from them. Our enemies seem to be aiming at that, and
to prevent our advance up the creek; by this time they have found out
their mistake, as we did not go a step out of our course for them.
Arrived at Hayward Creek at 11 o'clock at night.

Wednesday, 27th June, Hayward Creek. This morning we see signal fires all
around us. It was my intention last night to have gone this morning to
Kekwick Ponds to water the horses, then to give them the day to rest, and
proceed to-morrow back again to the large creek, and go on to the distant
hills that I was steering for on the 25th instant, but, after considering
the matter over the whole night, I have most reluctantly come to the
determination to abandon the attempt to make the Gulf of Carpentaria.
Situated as I now am, it would be most imprudent. In the first place my
party is far too small to cope with such wily, determined natives as
those we have just encountered. If they had been Europeans they could not
better have arranged and carried out their plan of attack. They had
evidently observed us passing in the morning, had examined our tracks to
see which way we had gone, and knew we could get no water down the creek,
but must retrace our steps to obtain i