b THE JARDINES EXPEDITION 



double-barrelled police carbines, the whites with Terry's 

 breech-loaders and Tranter's revolvers. To carry so much 

 dunnage they had eighteen pack-saddle*, and for all pur- 

 poses they took with them forty-one horses and one mule, 

 all of which must be shod before they could start. Then 

 it was found that only Frank and Alick Jardine knew how 

 to shoe a horse, and a number of these had not previously 

 been shod. However, with the thermometer marking 

 100 degrees in the shade during most of the day, they set 

 about the work, and at the close of the third day the last 

 was finished. On 11th October, Cowderoy, with Eulah 

 (who had been over the country with Alick Jardine) and 

 Barney were sent off with the cattle ; their instructions 

 were to camp at the swamp at the junction of Pluto Oeek, 

 17 miles from Macdonald station. The rest of the party 

 were fullv occupied in fixing up the packs and getting away 

 with the horses, a number of which stoutly objected to 

 carry the burdens which they were required to bear. It 

 was past noon when they got off, and night had set in 

 when 'they arrived at the swamp. Alas, however, neither 

 Cowderoy and the boys nor the cattle, were there ! It 

 afterwards transpired that Eulah. smart as he generally 

 was, had led tliem some miles away from the course they 

 were to have taken, and, becoming completely " bushed," 

 they had to camp for the night a long distance from the 

 swamp. By the time the brothers had found them next 

 morning, and brought them to the camp, it was too late 

 to make a fresh start. The distance travelled on each of 

 the two following days was 11 miles, for grass was very 

 scarce, large patches of it having besn burnt by the natives. 

 Besides this, they had to take the stock over miles of rough, 

 stony country in which good water was by no means abundant. 

 They were glad, therefore, on 15th October, after 9 miles 

 travelling over comparatively good and well-grassed country, 

 to fix their camp at Cawana Swamp, which is described 

 as being about 6 miles in circumference, and very shallow. 

 Some natives, who moved away when the cattle approached, 

 left their camp fires burning. An observation taken at 

 night gave the latitude 18 degrees 1 minute 50 seconds. 



After they left Cawana Swamp the travellers were 

 compelled to cross very stony basalt country, which lamed 

 their cattle and wrenched the heads off the horse-shoe 



