d while. After dinner I
went back to get my coat and a compass left at the foot of the hill, and
then again ascended the hill and got a fine round of angles. The rock is
very magnetic, and the compass is quite useless. Could see the dust from
the party coming across the spinifex sand-hills, and, descending, met
them just before sundown.

ANOTHER ENCOUNTER WITH NATIVES.

They reported having had an encounter with the natives on the 16th, and
having been followed by a number of armed natives for a long way. Finally
they had been compelled to fire on them, but had not killed any. They
were glad to hear of the spring found, and, continuing on, reached it
about half-past 6 o'clock. The spring is Fort Mueller of Mr. Giles, where
he was camped for a long while, and his most westerly permanent water. By
observation Fort Mueller is in latitude 26 degrees 11 minutes 30 seconds
South, and longitude by lunar observation 128 degrees East, the variation
being about 1 degree 25 minutes East by azimuths.

18th.
Rested at spring. Marked a tree sixty yards south of camp F 74, being
74th camp from Geraldton. Also erected a pile of stones on peak, thirty
chains West-South-West of camp, with a pole in centre, on which is
marked:

J. FORREST, AUGUST 17, '74.

Took four sets of lunars, which place spring in longitude 128 degrees
East of Greenwich.

19th.
Steering East-South-East along Mr. Gosse's track for about thirty-five
miles, over most miserable sandy hills and plains of spinifex, with the
exception of a few miles at first, along a grassy flat. Two rock holes
passed were quite dry. Camped without water on a grassy flat not far from
the ranges; hope to find water early to-morrow, as our horses are too
poor to go long without it. Was obliged to abandon police-horse Brick
to-day, as he was completely done up. Nothing but downright poverty is
the cause of his giving in; and the same in the case of Fame and Little
Padbury, which we abandoned over a month ago. They were poor when they
left, and have only had very dry grass ever since. It is a wonder to me
they all do not give in, as many are mere skeletons. Poor old Brick held
up as long as he could, but was forced to give in, and we had to leave
him to his solitary fate; he will probably go back to the spring (Fort
Mueller). Barometer 28.30; latitude 26 degrees 22 minutes 30 seconds
South.

20th.
Got a very early start, and continued on. At one mile found a sandy soak
in a gully,