CH. VI.] EXCURSION TO MR. FINCh's PLUNDERED CAMP. 127 



morning towards tliat spot, accompanied by Mr. Finch, and 

 a party mounted on pack-horses. We pursued a direct line, 

 traversing every scrub in the way, in expectation of surpris- 

 ing some of the natives. After riding six miles, we passed 

 one of their encampments, where they appeared to have re- 

 cently been, as the fire was still burning. In the scrubs we 

 saw several flocks of kangaroos, eight or ten in each ; and 

 on the plains, we this day saw a greater number of emus than 

 we had before fallen in with during the whole journey. 



Reaching, at length, the open plains beyond Brush Hill, 

 I once more traced the line of that water-course, which may 

 truly be said to have saved our lives, when we first providen- 

 tially fell in with it, just a* the men were beginning to sink, 

 overcome by extreme and long-continued thirst. To us, it 

 had afforded then the happiest of camps, after such a deliver- 

 ance; and now, we were to witness in the same spot, a scene 

 of death. Having struck into the old track of the carts as 

 we approached the place, we found the pistol of Bombelli 

 within a foot of the track. This was surprising, for although 

 Mr. Finch had informed me, that Bombelli lost it in the 

 grass, after adjusting some harness, (a fatal loss, poor fellow, 

 to him), it is seldom that any article so dropped, escapes the 

 quick-sighted natives, to whom the surface of the earth is, 

 in fact, as legible as a newspaper, so accustomed are they 

 to read in any traces left thereon, the events of the day. 

 For the lost pistol, Burnett, who had charge of the arms, 

 carefully sought, as he felt a commendable and soldier-like 

 desire, to carry back to Sydney, in good order, our full com- 

 plement of fire-arms. 



A lonely cart, and two dead bodies covered by the remains 

 of Mr. Finch's equipment, now marked the spot, where we 

 had formerly encamped. The two bullocks were no longer 

 to be seen. The natives had revisited the spot, since Mr. 

 Finch last quitted it, and had carried off" the remainder of 

 the flour, and great part of the canvass of the tent. The bodies 

 w^ere covered by a pile of various articles, such as saddles, 



