584 NORTHMOST AUSTRALIA 



had them all tied up, with the exception of four of the weakest, 

 which we hobbled and belled (" Queensland," " Greenhide," 

 " Greyhound " and " Billy "). 



There were heavy showers during the night. 

 March 4. It RAINED VERY HEAVILY up to n o'clock and the 

 whole day was dull and threatening. 



OUR POSITION had now become VERY SERIOUS. Two courses 

 lay before us. To PUSH ON was to run the risk of a third night's 

 camp without grass, involving the loss of all the horses, and leaving 

 us to find our way to Somerset or the sea coast, with as much of 

 the bare necessaries of life as we could carry on our backs. On the 

 other hand, IF WE RETRACED OUR STEPS with the view of striking for 

 the beach in the hope of finding better travelling, we knew that the 

 nearest grass was at Camp 51, 13 miles off. Whether the horses, 

 weakened by two nights of starvation, could cover the distance 

 was a matter of doubt. 



Crosbie chose the former course, and I the latter, the additional 

 chance which it offered of finding " Olive " deciding me in its 

 favour. We agreed to MEET NEAR PUDDING-PAN HILL, between 

 Orford Ness and False Orford Ness. 



The DAY proved a very DISASTROUS ONE. Two of the horses 

 that had been allowed to feed last night knocked up, and had to 

 be abandoned, with, of course, the chance of recovering them if 

 they lived. First " Greenhide " (carrying only an empty pack- 

 saddle), after having been dug out of a steep-banked gully into which 

 he had plunged, lay down on the north side of a boggy gully on 

 the tableland between Camps 51 and 52 and could not be got to 

 his feet. His saddle was hidden, and the place marked ; but just 

 as we were about to leave him he rose up of his own accord. We 

 got him across the gully and on for about half a mile, when he lay 

 down again, and this time had to be LEFT BEHIND. " QUEENSLAND " 

 began to show signs of distress at the place where " Greenhide " 

 first lay down. In a couple of miles he was bathed in perspiration 

 and hardly able to walk. We put his very light load on " Ben." 

 In half a mile more I dismounted and led " Queensland " while 

 Love drove him forward. I hoped, at least, to get him off the 

 tableland, where he would be among grass, and in a position to 

 join the other horses at Camp 51, should he recover ; but a mile 

 or so short of the descent he staggered and FELL INTO A GULLY. 

 The best we could do for him was to drag him into a place where 

 he could not be drowned, and from which he might rise if he 

 regained sufficient strength to do so. 



" GREYHOUND," another of the horses allowed to feed last 

 night, came into camp BATHED IN PERSPIRATION and exhibiting 

 the same symptoms as " Queensland." 



I have no doubt that, as three out of the four horses allowed 

 to feed at Camp 53 fell ill on the day's journey, while the horses 



