SECOND PRELIMINARY REPORT 599 



had cleared up in the afternoon, I went to the point we had been 

 making for in the morning, and found that it could be reached by 

 easy travelling on the eastern edge of the tableland. 



March jth was a dull and threatening day, but there was 

 only one heavy shower. I made a last attempt to save the two 

 horses abandoned on the 4th. " Greenhide " was found in a 

 dying condition, quite idiotic, worn to a skeleton, and his skin a 

 network of sores. " Queensland " seemed better, and I left him 

 on a grassy plot where we could pick him up on the way an arrange- 

 ment which would save him 2 miles of travelling on the next stage. 



On Sth March we left Camp 55 and got along comfortably to 

 where " Queensland " had been left. The unfortunate animal 

 HAD DIED during the night. 



A mile and a half to the east, through rather thick " whip- 

 stick " brush, brought us to a small creek running south-east. A 

 bit of scrub had to be cut, and the crossing had to be improved a 

 little. Poor " GREYHOUND " stumbled in getting up out of the 

 water, and, although lifted out, was too weak to stand, and fell 

 back helpless. We were under the necessity of LEAVING him to his 

 fate. The LAST WATCH in the party had succumbed on this date 

 to the incessant damp, and we were for the rest of the journey 

 without means of estimating the distance travelled, except by a 

 rough guess. The cloudy sky seldom permitted me to get our 

 position by the stars. Our finger- and toe-nails had become softened, 

 almost to the consistency of cheese, from being constantly wet. 

 The Snider and shot-gun ammunition had absorbed moisture to 

 the degree of being unreliable in any emergency. My Westley- 

 Richards rifle, with its protected lock and metallic cartridges, 

 could be used in any circumstances. 



In the afternoon we camped on FINE GRASS about a quarter of 

 a mile from the sea. [CAMP 56.] Before coming into camp the black 

 boy's fine eyes detected a NATIVE, who was looking for sugar-bag. 

 He invited me to shoot him. This would have been easy enough ; 

 but I declined the sport, to Charlie's great mortification. 



On the morning of the 9^, as we were packing up, a number of 

 NATIVES came forward, holding up their hands and shouting 

 * White fellow ! " Two of them were permitted to parley outside 

 the camp. They spoke English well, especially one who called 

 himself " BILLY " and said he was captain of many canoes. Billy 

 said he had been with beche de mer fishers, and displayed an intimate 

 acquaintance with their ways. He offered to bring us fish. The 

 last of our beef had been eaten more than a month before, and fish 

 would have been a welcome addition to our rations. We accepted 

 the offer, and bargained to exchange tobacco for the fish, but 

 insisted that only two were to come to traffic, and that they should 

 leave their spears behind. 



Billy walked beside us for about a mile and a half to the mouth 



