when arrived at the river whilst the leader was
dismounted in its bed, fixing the girths of his saddle, he was
surprised to find himself within 30 yards of a party carrying large
bundles of reed spears, who had come upon him unperceived. They
talked and gesticulated a great deal but made no overt hostility,
contenting themselves with following the party for about three miles
throughscrub, as they proceeded along the river. Getting tired of
this noisy pursuit, which might at any moment end in a shower of
spears, the Brothers turned on reaching a patch of open ground,
determined that some of their pursuers should not pass it. This
movement caused them to pause and seeming to think better of their
original intention they ceased to annoy or follow the little party,
which pursued its way for five miles further, when they camped in the
bed of the stream. Its character for the 8 miles they had followed
it up was scrubby and sandy: its course nearly west--long gullies
joined it from each side walled with sandstone. They caught two
turtles for supper. Total distance travelled 26 miles.

'November 15.--Making an early start, the party followed up the
Staaten for eight miles, the general course being about N.E. Here it
was jointed by Cockburn creek, which they ran up until they reached
the cattle party encamped at the lagoons, where the Leader had marked
trees STOP. They had reached this place on the 13th inst., without
further accident or disaster, and seeing the trees, camped as
instructed. It was nearly 30 miles from the junction of the Staaten,
the country scrubby, thickly timbered, and very broken. Total
distance 38 miles.

'November' 16.--The whole party was moved down Cockburn Creek, that
being the only practicable route. It was the alternative of poor
grass or no grass. The trend of the creek was about N.W. by W. At
twelve miles they encamped on its bed. A red steer and a cow were
left behind poisoned; and another horse, "Marion" was suffering
severely from the same cause. They were unable to detect the plant
which was doing so much mischief, which must be somewhat plentiful in
this part of the country. Leichhardt mentions (page 293) the loss of
Murphy's pony on the Lynd, which was found on the sands, "with its
body blown up, and bleeding from the nostrils." Similar symptoms
showed themselves in the case of the horses of this expedition,
proving pretty clearly that the deaths were caused by some noxious