These were, in
fact, the principal cause of the poverty and debility of the poor
brutes, who could never get a moment's rest to feed or sleep.
Twenty-two miles were accomplished to-day, despite their difficulties.

'February' 8.--The journey was continued to-day up the Escape, the
course of which was very crooked, but generally N.W. by N. The
horses knocked up a few miles after starting. The party were
therefore obliged to walk and drive them before them. The country
traversed was similar to that of yesterday, so that they could not
get more than a-mile-and-a-half an hour out of the poor jaded beasts.
Three times they tried to make into the river bank, but without
success, from the great width and the density of the belt of
mangroves, and the soft mud. An old black's camp was passed in which
they found heaps of shells, turtle, and shark bones. In the evening
they caught a quantity of whelks and cockles, which, with an iguana,
and three turkeys' eggs, made a good supper.

'February' 9.--The course of the river to-day was even more crooked
than yesterday, the nature of the country continuing the same, save
that the swampy ground was occasionally broken by ridges of
bloodwood, and stringy-bark. From a tree on one of these they had a
fine view of Newcastle Bay, and what was supposed to be Mount
Adolphus Island, the latter about 25 miles away, and could trace the
course of the river to where it debouched, by the stretch of
mangroves. Here, therefore, they were within 20 miles of their
destination, which they were tantalised by seeing, without being able
to reach. With difficulty they drove their horses before them for 7
miles, when they turned out and camped, as well to hunt, as again to
try and reach the river. In the first they were pretty successful,
getting some turkeys' eggs and shell-fish, but the last they were
unable to do, mud and mangroves barring their way, whilst the salt
water proved to them that they were still within the influence of the
tide, and the stream was still between three and four hundred yards
wide. Despairing of being able to find a crossing to which they
could fetch the cattle, their horses being unable to cross the river,
to continue the search for Somerset in advance, and their scanty
provision of flour being nearly exhausted, Frank Jardine, reluctantly
abandoning the idea of getting into the Settlement, determined to
return to the cattle, and with them, head the supposed bend of the