s 



THE JARDINES EXPEDITION 



230 miles back ; they therefore decided before the good 

 country was left, to camp for some days. " Many of the 

 cattle were lame, two of the hacks were knocked up, and 

 several of the pack-horses had very sore backs." They 

 were 120 miles from Macdonald's, and had averaged 10 

 miles a day since the start. 



While the stock rested, the brothers explored the 

 country through which they hoped to find an easier route 

 tlxan they had so far followed. Richardson still adhered 

 to his theory about the Lynd, which he placed about 10 

 miles nortli-east of their camp. They were even m.ore 

 satisfied, however, after their 25 miles ride on 24th October, 

 that he was mistaken. They returned to camp after four 

 days' hard riding, having blazed on the last afternoon a line 

 18 or 20 miles for the cattle to follow. Again they started 

 with Eulah to explore, leaving instructions that the cattle 

 were to go forward on 31st October, following the line they 

 had blazed for their guidance. They took no meat with 

 them, trusting to find game and fish by the way. One 

 delicacy which provided them with " a good supper and 

 breakfast " was an iguana. After six days' absence they 

 j'ejoined their party at tne place appointed, but on neither 

 of their expeditions had they found even a moderately 

 good route for the stock ; they therefore decided to take 

 the course which seemed the least unpromising. From 

 this time their troubles seemed greater than ever. When 

 they left the camp, as thsy now had to do daily to blaze 

 a line for the cattle to follow, 16 horses were n^issing ; on3 

 oth?r had died from what appeared to be snakebite. When 

 night closed in there was no word of the horses, but one of 

 the boys who brought tliBm rations reported that some 

 were still missing when he left the camp. Tliree more 

 days passed, and yet no news, but more than 20 of the 

 cattle were missing, and as matters were getting serious 

 Alick decided to go back and ascertain what caused the 

 delay. 



The ninth day of November brought disastrous news. 

 Alick started back in the early morning, and the men 

 with the horses, which had strayed, met him half-way. 

 On the afternoon of the day when the brothers moved on 

 with the cattle (5th November), through want of reason- 

 able precaution, the grass around the camp had taken fire. 



