r the other
horse "Deceiver," expecting to find him in the same state. His
tracks being found shortly afterwards, they followed them for some
distance, when they came on to his dead carcase. The poor brute had
evidently died from want of water; the Leader therefore turned
homewards, hoping, but little expecting to find that the mule had
been found. These losses were a heavy blow, and sadly crippled the
party. Lucifer and Deceiver were the two best riding horses, and the
mule the best pack animal. His own loss was aggravated by his
carrying his pack with him. This carried most of the odd articles
that were hitherto deemed indispensible, but which henceforth they
had per force to dispense with. One pack contained all that remained
of the tea, currants, and raisins, which were saved from the fire,
and two pairs of boots, the only ones the Brothers had; and the other
was filled with oddments, such as files, gimlets, ragstone, steel,
weighing machine, awls, tomahawks, American axes, shoeing tools, and
a number of things "that they could not do without," but perhaps the
most important loss was that of the spade, to which they had many
times been indebted for water. Up to this time, that is to the 37th
camp, the number of the camp had always been cut in the wood of a
tree at each, with a mallet and chissel, these having gone with the
mule's pack the numbers were from this point cut with a tomahawk, but
as Mr. Jardine was expert and careful in its use it is probable that
his marks are but little less legible. The recovery of the mule
being now past all hope the Brothers determined to push on, thankful
that they were certain of water for one stage. It was the more
necessary, as two of the party, Scrutton and Cowderoy, were getting
ill from the effects of the bad water. At this camp Mr. Richardson
fixed the variation at 40 east. He had hitherto used a variation of
6 degrees in his plotting.

'December' 13.--The Leader intended to have camped to-day on the
creek, found by his brother on the 11th, but whilst ahead looking for
a good camp for the morrow, he came at five miles further on, to what
he took to be the "Rocky Creek" of Leichhardt. He turned back
therefore and fetched the cattle on to it, making 13 instead of 8
miles. But on turning out it was found that the water was not
drinkable, although the lagoon was covered with nympheas, generally
supposed to grow only in fresh water. These were white instead of
bl