of the creek, about half-a-mile above the crossing, where there was a
little good grass. Several of their horses were left behind bogged,
one mare in particular, "Nell Gwynne," being too weak to travel.
Distance 3 miles. Course N. (Camp LXVII.)

'January' 12.--It was determined to camp here to-day, both to spell
the weak horses and dry many things that had got wet. The horses
left bogged the previous night were got out, when on returning to the
camp, it was found that a number of the others were poisoned, and one
missing. The black-boys were immediately sent out in search of him,
but were unsuccessful. Meanwhile the party being unable to shift
camp that day, a yard was immediately formed, all herbs carefully
pulled up in and about it, and the horses penned there. The
precaution came too late, for before evening five of them besides the
missing one ("Rasper") were dead. It was supposed that "Rasper" must
have got into the river and been drowned, as one of the effects of
the poison is complete blindness. The symptoms are thus described.
Profuse sweating, with a heaving of the flanks, the ears droop, the
eyes glaze, set, and the animal finally turns stone blind. He then
lies down, struggles fitfully for several hours, and never rises
again. This was a heavy blow. Ten of their horses were now gone,
eight of which were picked, and the best of the whole number, besides
being the best conditioned, one peculiarity of the poison being that
it appears to attack the fattest animals. A careful search was made
to detect the plant that caused this fearful loss, but
unsuccessfully. The number of horses being now reduced to
twenty-one, and those the poorest and worst, it became necessary to
take only what was actually wanted of their baggage, and to abandon
the remainder. A cache was accordingly dug, and 25 sets of
horse-shoes, a lot of nails and other miscellaneous articles were
buried at the foot of an iron acacia on the top of the ridge and
facing the creek, on which was marked in a sheild F J over LXVII.
over DIG in heart. The horses were kept in the yard all night, and
the rest of the day and evening spent in disposing of the reduced
loading, and making preparations for leaving this fatal camp. The
rain continued to fall heavily throughout the day, which could not
under the circumstances, have increased the cheerfulness of the
party. The Leader, however, closes the entry in his Diary with "Nil
Desperandum" mere