CH. VIII.] PREPARE TO QUIT THE PARTY. 337 



shoulders, when it soon finds its way to its warm birth, 

 holding' by the back of the mother's head, while it slides 

 down into it. These women usually carry besides their chil- 

 dren, thus mounted, bags containing all the things which 

 they and the men possess, consisting of nets for the hair or 

 for catching ducks ; whetstones ; yellow, white, and red 

 ochre ; pins for dressing and drying opossum skins, or for 

 net-making ; small bommerengs and shovels for the chil- 

 dren's amusement ; and often many other things, apparently 

 of little use to them. 



On this creek, the grass was excellent, and to-day, for the 

 first time, we saw cattle from the colony. As our own re- 

 quired rest, and I wished to examine the state of the 

 equipment, arms, ammunition, and stores, previous to my 

 leaving the party, as 1 now intended soon to do, I deter- 

 mined on halting here for three days, previous to ascend- 

 ing Hervey's range. I also wished to amend that part of 

 our traced line by returning in advance of the party, and 

 marking out a better direction for the ascent of the carts ; and 

 to find out also, if possible, some water, which should be at a 

 convenientdistance, for a day's journey, from the present camp. 



When, on first advancing, I overlooked this lower country, 

 the sun had nearly set, and I was anxious the expedition 

 should reach the valley, and find water before darkness set 

 in ; the descent from these hei2:hts was thus made without 

 selection, and at a point which happened to be rather too 

 abrupt. To ascend it was a still more difficult labour, now 

 that our cattle were much weaker, and would be also ex- 

 hausted by the fatigue of a long journey. 



Sept. 12. — I was occupied nearly the whole of this day, in 

 examining the ration accounts, and taking an inventory of 

 the equipment, stores, &c. We had made five months' rations 

 serve the party nearly six months, by a slight alteration of 

 the weights ; this having been thought the best expedient for 

 making our provisions last till the end of the journey, avail- 

 ing myself of the experience of my former travels in the in- 

 terior, when I found that the idea of reduced rations, was 



disheartening to men when imdergoing fatigue. The sheep 

 1 z 



