KETURN TO THE CAMP. 
49 
IS of sandstone formation, and is bold and precipitous. Its 
summit is level and lightly timbered. As a tribute of re- 
spect to the late Surveyor-General, I called it Oxley’s Ta- 
ble Land, and I named the distant hills D’Urban’s Group, 
after Sir Benjamin D’Urban, in compliance with a previous 
request of ray friend Lieut. Be la Condamine, that 1 would 
so name any prominent feature of the interior that I might 
happen to come upon. 
In returning to the camp, I made a circuit to the N. E., 
and reached the Macquarie late on the evening of the 5th 
of January ; having been absent six days, during which we 
could not have ridden less than 200 miles. Yet the horses 
were not so fatigued as it was natural to expect they would 
have been. 
My servant informed me that a party of natives had vi- 
sited the camp on the 3d, but that they retired precipitately 
on seeing the animals. I regretted to find the men but lit- 
tle better than when I left them. Several still complained 
of a painful irritation of the eyes, and of great weakness of 
sight. Attributing their continued indisposition in some 
measure to our situation, I was anxious to have moved from it • 
but as Mr. Hume was still absent, I could not decide upon 
the measure. He made his appearance, however, on the 
6th, having ridden the greater part of the day through rain, 
which commenced to fall in the morning. Soon after his’ 
arrival, Dawber, my overseer of animals, who had accom- 
panied him, was taken suddenly ill. During the night he 
became much worse, with shiverings and spasms, and on the 
