t, and I hope the change of
beef tea made from fresh meat will give me some increase of strength, for
I am now reduced to a perfect skeleton, a mere shadow. At sundown had the
horse shot; fresh meat to the party is now a great treat. I am denied
participating in that pleasure, from the dreadful state in which my mouth
still is. I can chew nothing, and all that I have been living on is a
little beef tea, and a little boiled flour, which I am obliged to
swallow. To-night I feel very ill, and very, very low indeed. Wind,
south-east, with a few clouds.

Wednesday, 29th October, Clay-pans East of Mount Hay. This morning I feel
a little relieved in comparison with my exhausted state of yesterday. I
had a very troubled night's rest. All hands cutting up the horse, and
hanging up the meat to dry. Thring and Nash out for two long poles to fix
the chair in, which they succeeded in finding. At twelve o'clock had all
the meat of the horse cut up and hung up to dry. Day oppressively hot.
Wind, south-east. Clouds.

Thursday, 30th October, Clay-pans East of Mount Hay. I think I am a
little better this morning, but still very weak and helpless. Find that
the chair will not answer the purpose, and must have a stretcher instead.
Wind, south-east.

Friday, 31st October, Clay-pans East of Mount Hay. I felt a little
improvement this morning, which I hope will continue; and I think I have
reached the turn of this terrible disease. On Tuesday night I certainly
was in the grasp of death; a cold clammy perspiration, with a tremulous
motion, kept creeping slowly over my body during the night, and
everything near me had the smell of decaying mortality in the last stage
of decomposition and of the grave. I sincerely thank the Almighty Giver
of all Good, that He, in His infinite goodness and mercy, gave me
strength and courage to overcome the grim and hoary-headed king of
terrors, and has kindly permitted me yet to live a little longer in this
world. Auld, who was in attendance upon me on that night, informed me
that my breath smelt the same as the atmosphere of a room in which a
dead body had been kept for some days. What a sad difference there is
from what I am now and what I was when the party left North Adelaide! My
right hand nearly useless to me by the accident from the horse; total
blindness after sunset--although the moon shines bright to others, to me
it is total darkness--and nearly blind during the day; my limbs so weak
and painful th