SECOND PRELIMINARY REPORT 597 



was mainly north, and the distance travelled about 10 miles. Early 

 in the day, one of the horses (" Greenhide ") showed symptoms of 

 weakness, and blundered into a gully, from which he was extricated 

 with difficulty. The rain fell during the greater part of the day. 

 One small creek, about 4 miles north of Camp 51, ran eastward. 

 The creeks crossed further north made their way to the north-west, 

 doubtless to join the JARDINE RIVER or its large tributary, the 

 McHENRY. We camped at nightfall on the edge of a scrub, 

 in which a gully was found containing a little water. This scrub 

 was afterwards found to fringe a gully running to the NNW., 

 which we had reason to believe was the very head of the JARDINE. 

 [CAMP 52.] 



It was so nearly dark on our arrival in camp that we could only 

 observe that the grass was coarse ; but it was grass, and the first 

 that we had seen for some time, the last few miles having been barren 

 heathy country. When the morning broke (yd March), the first 

 glance at our surroundings suggested the thought that we should 

 have much trouble in mustering the horses ; and this surmise 

 proved strictly correct. The last of Mr. Crosbie's horses was 

 found by two o'clock, and the prospecting party pushed on in the 

 hope of at least reaching a camp where the horses could live. One 

 valuable mare, " Olive," the recognised leader of our pack-horses, 

 was still missing. We continued the search for two hours longer, 

 still without success, and then followed the track of the prospecting 

 party, resolved to return to seek the lost mare if we could find a 

 camp, in the meantime, where the other horses would stay. The 

 supposed head of the Jardine was run down to the NNW. for 

 about 2 miles, when we crossed to the right bank. The whole day's 

 journey was only about 2^ miles, the prospectors having had to hew 

 their way through DENSE VINE SCRUB. After we had joined them 

 night overtook us, in a narrow pocket cumbered with a thick 

 undergrowth of shrubs and bearing only the coarsest and rankest 

 grass. [CAMP 53.] In spite of the rain, which had fallen heavily 

 at intervals while we were travelling, water for the billy had to be 

 carried from a gully half a mile back on the lane which had been cut 

 through the scrub. I pushed on about a mile to the north by the 

 compass, but found no end to the SCRUB, while Messrs. Crosbie and 

 Layland penetrated as far to NNW. but found only a pocket similar 

 to that in which we had to camp. 



The CONDITION OF THE HORSES had become very CRITICAL. They 

 had had next to no grass the previous night. They could have 

 none to-night ; and I suspected the presence of POISONOUS PLANTS 

 among grass such as was to be found there. Should the horses 

 wander into the scrub it might take days to find them. Another 

 day's work, followed by a failure to find grass, would relieve us of 

 all further anxiety regarding the horses, the strength of the poor 

 beasts having already been greatly reduced by rain and flies. In 



