into
good sound well-grassed stringy-bark ridges, which continued
throughout the whole stage, with the exception of a few broad
tea-tree gullies. They encamped at about 10 miles. Poor old Eulah
experienced to-day, what he felt was a cruel disappointment. Just
before getting into camp he espied what he supposed to be a fresh
turkey's nest (the 'Talegalla Lathami'); jumping off his horse, he
eagerly commenced rooting it up, expecting to be rewarded by a fine
haul of eggs. These, as is the habit of that bird, were deposited in
a large mound formed of sticks, earth, and leaves. His
disappointment and disgust were equal, and his language forcible and
deep, on finding that he had been anticipated--the big mound was
the abode of emptiness. The mystery was cleared up on going on a
little way, when they found a black's camp about two days old, where
the egg-chips shewed that the occupants had enjoyed Eulah's
anticipated feed, the piccaninnies probably amusing themselves
afterwards by filling up the nest to its original appearance. In the
evening, whilst Alexander Jardine, was preparing the frugal supper
(they generally ate their jerked meet raw, but on this occasion he
was cooking it for a change), the Leader and Eulah walked to the top
of a small sandy conical hill, about half-a-mile distant, when
climbing the highest tree, they could find, they were rewarded by a
fine view of Newcastle Bay, on the south-east of the bight, on which
they were now camped. They had also the great satisfaction of
finding that they had at last headed the Escape River.

'March' 1.--"A nasty wet morning." The trio started early,
thinking it quite possible that they might "pull up" something or
other belonging to the Settlement before night, but they kept their
thoughts to themselves. They had had so many disappointments that
they felt that to hazard a guess even, was a mistake. After
travelling over a great deal of low scrub and brushwood, which,
however, was better than boggy ground ("to be without one or the
other," says Alexander Jardine "would have been too much to expect")
during a heavy shower of rain, about three o'clock, whilst riding
over some low sandy ridges they suddenly came on to a number of
blacks, camped on the outside of a thick scrub, at a point where it
abutted on a small creek. The travellers immediately unslung their
carbines, very dubious however as to whether they would go off (for
they were all damp,) and prepare