112 
ENCAMP AT MOUNT HARRIS. 
which had weakened their party a good deal. Riley in- 
formed me, that he had been between a month and three 
weeks at the station, and that knowing our provisions must 
have run short he had expected us much earlier than we 
had made our appearance. 
My dispatches stated, that additional supplies had been 
forwarded for my use, together with horses and bul- 
locks, in the event of my requiring them. On exami- 
nation, the former were found to be in excellent order; 
and, as it would take some time to carry any changes I 
might contemplate, or find it necessary to make, into effect, 
I determined to give the men who had been with me a 
week’s rest. 
The camp was made snug ; and as the weather had 
become much cooler, I thought it a good opportunity to 
slaughter one of the bullocks, in order to guard against 
any bad effects of our having been living for some weeks 
exclusively on salt provisions. I was also induced to this 
measure, from a wish to preserve my supplies as much as 
possible. 
These matters having been arranged, I had a temporary 
awning erected near the river, and was for three or four 
days busily employed writing an account of our journey 
for the Governor’s information. 
Having closed my despatches, and answered the nume- 
rous friendly letters I had received, my attention was next 
turned to the changes that had taken place at Mount Harris 
during our absence. The Macquarie, I found, had wholly 
