t above them; they therefore lay in
wait for our return. Their charge was in double column, open order, and
we had to take steady aim, to make an impression. With such as these for
enemies in our rear, and, most probably, far worse in advance, it would
be destruction to all my party for me to attempt to go on. All the
information of the interior that I have already obtained would be lost.
Moreover, we have only half rations for six months, four of which are
gone, and I have been economizing as much as I possibly could in case of
our having to be out a longer time, so that my men now complain of great
weakness, and are unable to perform what they have to do. Again, only two
showers of rain have fallen since March, and I am afraid of the waters
drying up to the south, and there is no appearance of rain at present.
The days are now become very hot again, and the feed for the horses as
dry as if it were the middle of summer. The poor animals are very much
reduced in condition, so much so that I am afraid of their being longer
than one night without water. Finally, my health is so bad, that I am
hardly able to sit in the saddle. After taking all those things into
consideration, I think it would be madness and folly to attempt more. If
my own life were the only sacrifice, I would willingly risk it to
accomplish my purpose; but it seems that I am destined to be
disappointed; man proposes, but the Almighty disposes, and his will must
be obeyed. Seeing the signal fires around, and dreading lest our black
friends at Kekwick Ponds might have been playing a double part with us,
in spite of their Masonic signs, I gave them a wide berth, and steered
for Bishop Creek. Arrived there in the afternoon, and found that the
creek had not been visited by natives since we left. These natives do not
deposit their dead bodies in the ground, but place them in the trees,
and, judging from the number of these corpses which we have passed
between this and the large creek, where they made their attack upon us,
they must be very numerous. These natives have quite a different cast of
features from those in the south; they have neither the broad flat nose
and large mouth, nor the projecting eyebrows, but have more of the Malay;
they are tall, muscular, well-made men, and I think they must have seen
or encountered white men before.

Thursday, 28th June, Bishop Creek. Camped at the rocky water hole
north-east side of the McDouall range.

Friday, 29th Ju