rapidly for us to get bushes of timber fairly
beneath him; and being of a very sluggish stupid nature he could
never be got to make sufficiently strenuous efforts towards
extricating himself. In the evening, as a last chance, we let the
water in from the creek, so as to buoy him up and at the same time
soften the ground about his legs; but it was of no avail. The brute
lay quietly in it, as if he quite enjoyed his position.--To Camp 6.

Camp 6.

Monday, 29th April, 1861.--Finding Landa still in the hole, we made
a few attempts at extricating him, and then shot him, and after
breakfast commenced cutting off what flesh we could get at for
jerking.

Tuesday, 30th April, 1861.--Remained here to-day for the purpose of
drying the meat, for which process the weather is not very
favourable. [Meteorological note follows.]

From Camp 6.

Wednesday, 1st May, 1861.--Started at 8.40, having loaded our only
camel, Rajah, with the most necessary and useful articles, and
packed up a small swag each, of bedding and clothing for our own
shoulders. We kept on the right bank of the creek for about a mile,
and then crossed over at a native camp to the left, where we got on
a path running due west, the creek having turned to the north.
Following the path we crossed an open plain, and then some sand
ridges, whence we saw the creek straight ahead of us running nearly
south again: the path took us to the southernmost point of the bend
in a distance of about two and a-half miles from where we had
crossed the creek, thereby saving us from three to four miles, as
it cannot be less than six miles round by the creek.--To Camp 7.

From Camp 7.

Thursday, 2nd May, 1861.--Breakfasted by moonlight and started at
6.30. Following down the left bank of the creek in a westerly
direction, we came at a distance of six miles on a lot of natives
who were camped on the bed of a creek. They seemed to have just
breakfasted, and were most liberal in their presentations of fish
and cake. We could only return the compliment by some fishhooks and
sugar. About a mile further on we came to a separation of the
creek, where what looked like the main branch, turned towards the
south. This channel we followed, not however without some
misgivings as to its character, which were soon increased by the
small and unfavourable appearance that the creek assumed. On our
continuing along it a little further it began to improve and
widened out with fine waterholes of consi