190 Kennedy's expedition. 



meals we cut up into thirteen parts, as nearl}' equal 

 as possible, and one person touched each part in 

 succession, whilst another person, with his hack 

 turned, called out the names of the party, the person 

 named taking' the part touched. The scrupulous 

 exactness we were obhg-ed to practise with respect 

 to our provisions was increased by our misfortune in 

 g-etting next to nothing to assist our scanty ration ; 

 while the extreme labour to which we were subjected 

 increased our appetites. Two of the party always 

 went out at dayhght to fetch the horses in, and it 

 was necessary we should start at early morning on 

 account of the great heat in the middle of the day. 

 We always endeavoured to make a fair stage by 

 ten o'clock, and then, if in a convenient place, to 

 halt : sometimes we were obliged to halt at nine 

 o'clock, but we started again generally about three 

 or four o'clock p.m., and travelled on tiU six. 



Twelve or fourteen natives made their appearance 

 at the camp this evening-, from the same direction as 

 on the previous day. Each one was armed with a 

 large bundle of spears, and with boomerangs. Their 

 bodies were painted with a yellowish earth, which, 

 with their warlike gestures, made them look very 

 ferocious. The grass in the position they had taken 

 up was very long and very dry, quite up to the edge 

 of the gully; they set it on fire in thi-ee or four 

 places, and the wind blowing from them to us, it 

 burned very rapidly. Thinking we should be 

 frightened at this display they followed the fire 



