THE NORTH-AUSTRALIAN EXPEDITION. 171 



Impossible as it was to reraaiu far behind of the party, on account of 

 the hostilities of the natives, who attacked us twice, I have not secured 

 so many kinds of seeds as I might have wished, particularly during the 

 latter part of the exploration, one bagfull being unfortunately lost ou a 

 very rainy day, when we broke through some dense mountain-scrub ; 

 but when I say, Sir William, that I never lost a single minute in repose 

 or useless occupation, I trust that you will be content with the small 

 quantity I have to offer. My time indeed was so much occupied, that 

 I could not even write my journal at daylight, but I devoted part of 

 my two hours' nightly watch at the bivouac-fire for the purpose. 

 ' Perhaps it may be interesting to you to picture the daily routine of 

 our life in the field. We were roused precisely at four o'clock a.m., 

 by the last sentry on watch, finished our simple breakfast in a quarter 

 of an hour, went at once out in search of our horses, and managed 

 generally to have them caught, driven in, saddled, and packed, a little 

 past sunrise. We travelled hardly ever less than eight hours, often 

 ten, at the rate of about three miles an hour ; but when grass or water 

 was not conveniently found, sometimes considerably longer. "Unload- 

 ing, going through our little domestic duties, repair of clothes and 

 saddlery, attendance to our noble animals (without which we should 

 have been helpless beings in the wilderness), pitching our calico sheets, 

 and refreshing ourselves by a hasty meal, would occupy us for better 

 than an hour ; the rest of the day, about two hours at the average, was 

 allotted to the special duties of our respective departments. I would 

 employ myself iu examining the plants around our camp, in attending 

 to the specimens and seeds snatched up on the way, or writing botani- 

 cal notes. At night we stretched ourselves on our blankets, and gene- 

 rally in full clothes, to be ready for defence at a second's notice, the 

 gun alongside us, the revolver under our head. 



During our journey around the southern part of the Carpentaria Gulf, 

 the season was so dry that even that precious providential gift of na- 

 ture, the Purslane, was parched and bitter. Our rations were small ; 

 the salt pork melted by the heat to a quarter of its original weight 

 (which of course remained the standard), it became rancid and most in- 

 digestible. Game was scarcely to be had. But when we proceeded to 

 the eastern part of the continent, rain-showers had refreshed the veg - 

 tation, and we enjoyed not only the Portulaca again which was valu- 

 able above anything of the kind in being gathered without loss of time, 



