water, the party waiting our return.
After searching a gully to the west without success, we went east to a
bare granite hill and, passing through a gorge, emerged into a small
flat, and saw about 100 natives, all sitting down eating kangaroos. As
soon as they saw us they all rose and shouted, and many ran towards us
with their spears. One spear came close to me, and stuck fast in the
ground. Windich and I fired our revolvers at them several times, and
chased them up the hill. After this they appeared more friendly, and some
came towards us and followed us back towards the party, keeping about 200
yards behind. We reached them and went back to the natives; they were
perched all over the hills, more than twenty on one rock. They were
friendly now, and about thirty came to us who talked away and seemed very
pleased. They were much afraid of the horses, and would not come near
them. We made the natives understand we wanted water, and about forty
conducted us to a rock hole with nearly fifty gallons in it, which we
gave the horses. The natives laughed heartily when they saw us watering
the horses, but much more when we hit them to drive them away. They were
also delighted that Windich and Pierre were black, and marked about the
body, and also at Pierre having his nose bored. They would not come with
us further, and pointed towards water westward. We did not follow their
direction, and continuing on easterly, camped without water, and only
very old dried grass for our horses. We were obliged to abandon the mare
supplied by Mr. John Taylor to-day, together with about 150 pounds of
flour, also the pack-saddle. She is very near foaling, and is very weak;
she has carried only the empty bags for some time, and has been gradually
failing. She is a fine mare, and I am sorry to lose her, but we cannot
help it. We have more flour than we require, so I decided to leave 150
pounds, as our horses are not able to carry it easily. We have over 3
hundredweight still, which will be quite sufficient. Tomorrow I intend
pushing on to try and reach the spring in the Musgrave Range shown on Mr.
Gosse's chart. It is about forty miles from here, and I have no doubt the
horses will go there, although they are very weak. The natives met to-day
were all circumcised; they had long hair and beards, which were all
clotted and in strands. The strands were covered with filth and dirt for
six inches from the end, and looked like greased rope; it was as hard a