g the horses on their sides, they slid along like
sledges. This process had continually to be repeated throughout the
day, causing so much delay, that seven or eight miles were with
difficulty accomplished. At each running stream the packs had to be
taken off and carried over. The country traversed was similar to
that of yesterday, undulating blood-wood red soil ridges,
sufficiently well-grassed, with the everlasting black soil, tea-tree
flats, and gullies running between them, some being very wide. Two
more horses died during the day from the effects of the poison, and
the Leader owns that he was beginning to be at his wits end as to how
they were to get along. Every superfluity and been abandoned, and,
with the exception of a few light things, such as clothes and
blankets, of too trifling weight to make it worth while to leave, and
only what was absolutely necessary, retained; yet there were barely
sufficient horses left to carry that. He had therefore good cause
for anxiety. The day kept tolerably fair until the party came into
camp, when the rain came down in torrents. Whilst in the hurry and
confusion of putting up the tents to protect the stores from the
deluge that was pouring, the alarm of "blacks" was again given. They
were fortunately unarmed, and the party easily chased them away.
This was fortunate, and was caused by the native custom of making the
gins carry their spears and shields on the march, themselves only
carrying a nulla or two. They were soon back again however, with
large bundles of spears, but not before the party had had time to
prepare for them. The rifles were dry and loaded. Frank Jardine
here owns to a feeling of savage delight at the prospect of having a
"shine" with these wretched savages, who, without provocation, hung
on their footsteps dogging them like hawks all through the thickest
of their troubles, watching with cowardly patience, for a favourable
moment to attack them at a disadvantage. Even then, however, he
would not be the agressor, but allowed them to come within sixty
yards, and ship their spears in the woomerahs, before they were fired
upon. The two foremost men fell to the only two shots that were
discharged, and their companions at once broke and fled; nor was the
advantage followed up, as the travellers were careful to husband
their ammunition, and their caps were running short. This, however,
was the last occasion on which the party was molested, their sable