598 NORTHMOST AUSTRALIA 



the circumstances I judged it best to TIE THE HORSES UP for the 

 night (with the exception of the four weakest, viz., " Queensland," 

 " Greenhide," " Billy " and " Greyhound "), and to make, on the 

 following day, a FORCED MARCH BACK to the last grass that we knew 

 of (at Camp 51), and thence resume the search for the mare while 

 recruiting the other horses. As this plan would necessarily involve 

 at least a temporary separation from the prospecting party, I made 

 for Mr. Crosbie's use a copy of the map between our camp and 

 Somerset. MR. CROSBIE'S PLAN was to make north for the " grassy 

 flats " about 10 miles distant, marked on the chart to the west of 

 PUDDING-PAN HILL, and wait there a few days to recruit his horses. 

 There we might rejoin him, or, at least, pick up his tracks. It may 

 be mentioned here that, after satisfying himself of the non-existence 

 of the " grassy flats " in question, he MADE FOR THE COAST near 

 FALSE ORFORD NESS, where we rejoined him on loth March. 



We started early on \th March and reached our old camp, 51 

 [now Camp 54] an hour before dusk. Charlie detected the TRACKS 

 OF BLACK FELLOWS on ours near the camp. RAIN fell heavily for 

 the first three or four hours after we made a start. The DAY proved 

 a very DISASTROUS one. Of the four weak HORSES which I had allowed 

 to feed, out of sheer pity, the previous night, two " Greenhide " 

 and " Queensland " had to be left far behind, being unable to 

 stand, although frequently hoisted on their feet ; a third " Grey- 

 hound " barely managed to crawl to the camp. All three had 

 evidently been POISONED, and I was painfully conscious that they 

 had no strength to come and go on. 



Heavy RAIN fell from daybreak till ten o'clock of $th March. 

 Macdonald and Charlie succeeded in tracking the strayed mare, 

 and drove " Queensland " and " Greenhide " a short distance 

 towards the camp. As the morning's rain was succeeded by a 

 sultry afternoon, I seized the opportunity of drying provisions, 

 clothing, bedding, ammunition, saddlery, etc., all of which by this 

 time stood sorely in need of attention. I also spent some time on 

 the edge of the tableland, anxiously spying out the nearest and 

 clearest access to the coast, having satisfied myself that the inland 

 route was unprofitable, if not impracticable. I had also the painful 

 task of deciding which of our impedimenta we could best spare, as 

 it had become absolutely necessary to LIGHTEN THE LOADS of the 

 remaining horses. 



We left Camp 51 [CAMP 54] the following morning, and had 

 very heavy RAIN till two o'clock. We followed our previous 

 northerly track for 2 miles, and left it at the point where we had 

 ascended to the tableland, steering for a distant point of the hills, 

 whence I thought I had seen a comparatively clear way to the 

 coast. We found one way barred, however, by an impenetrable 

 SCRUB ; and as the third poisoned horse (" Greyhound ") seemed 

 still unable to travel, we camped early. [CAMP 55.] When the rain 



