BY HON. A. NORTON. ^ 



The result was more than serious — 4201bs. flour, all the tea 

 except lOlbs., the mule's pack which comprised lOOlbs. 

 rice, and jam, apples, and currants, 51bs. gunpowder, 121bs 

 shot, cartridges and caps, two tents, one pack-saddle, 22 

 pack- bags, 14 surcingles, 12 girths, 6 breechings, 30 ring 

 pack-straps, 2 bridles, 2 pairs blankets, 2 pairs boots 

 most of the blackboys' and many of the brothers' clothes, 

 and 2 bagrf containing awls, needles, twine, etc., were 

 burnt. Then, too, a valuable horse died, apparently from 

 poison. Such was the news which was brought to the 

 camp on Cockburn Creek, 16 degrees 55 minutes 6 seconds 

 latitude, on 9th November, 1864 ! Half their food and 

 the greater part of their equipment had been burnt, but 

 the hearts of the brothers never failed, and they at once 

 began to make their preparations for a forward move on 

 the morrow. 



On the morning of 10th November, the brothers, 

 taking Eulah with them, started as usual to blaze a line 

 which the men with the cattle were to follow. The country 

 was sandy, scrubby, and barren, and at 25 miles the}^ 

 marked a place for the party to await their return. Some 

 miles further down Cockburn Creek they struck away 

 N.N.W., and camped on the head of Maramie Creek, so- 

 called because of the number of cray-fish caught there. 

 Hence they ran Maramie Creek down, but without finding 

 any improvement, nothing but a waste of tea-tree and 

 spinifex on both .-ides ; the blacks had used the bark of a 

 small acacia for poisoning the fish in all the waterholes. 

 They continued to explore until 15th November, during 

 which time they had travelled through most worthless 

 country, but discovered that tlie Staaten of Dutch explorers 

 was the lower part of Cockburn and Maramie Creeks. The 

 blacks had threatened, but did not attack them. 



The following day the cattle were moved down Cock- 

 burn Creek on which there was poor grass, whereas else- 

 where there was no grass. Deaths of cattle and horses 

 from poisoning were now becoming frequent, and although 

 water was plentiful the country was execrable, most of it 

 being flat and thickly covered with tea-tree and other timber 

 denoting poor country. On 20th November, the blacks 

 for the fii'st time attacked the party ; they approached 

 from the west just before the sun set, so that the attack 



