liver; the heart
is quite as good as a bullock's and the meat, considering the condition
of the animal, not at all as tough as one would expect; the party after
starving for two or three meals have quietly taken to him now and rather
like the meat.

Wednesday, June 18.

Still in Camp 19--not the most enviable place in the world. Heavy dew
last night. I am afraid the meat we are attempting to dry will be a
failure on account of the moist state of the weather. I was sadly grieved
on return of the party that went to see after the horses to learn that
one of our very best horses (Rowdy) was lying dead a short distance down
the river, still warm; he must have been poisoned or bitten by a snake;
at present we will feel his loss much as he was so strong and always kept
fat. Although the meat will not be quite dry I will see and make a start
out of this in the morning in case it may be some poisonous herb that may
happen to be in the bed of the river. I will return up the river to where
the main branch joined the tributary we came down, and try by following
it for some distance to get some place where I can ascend the ranges to
the east, but I expect it to be a work of great difficulty; however that
I will think nothing of if I only succeed and get the animals all over
safe. The weather seems taking up now.

Thursday, June 19.

Camp 19. Beautiful morning, not a breath of wind. Try what success we
will have up the main branch of this river in finding a passage over the
range to eastward. Have got rid of everything we can possibly spare and
that will now be of little use to us and had them buried on the
south-west side of creek, under the creek side of large broken-off
standing dead tree, and up the bank about forty yards from a large
gumtree, with a large square patch of bark taken off and small arrow at 4
o'clock in the direction should they be sought for, which I much doubt.
The horses don't look at all the thing I am sorry to see, knowing that
they have some heavy work immediately before them; even before attempting
to ascend the ranges we have to travel in the bed of the river where the
sand is excessively heavy and trying on the poor animals in their present
leg-weary state and want of condition. I never saw animals fall off so
suddenly in my life. Followed our tracks back to the junction of the two
branches about two and a half miles, then took the left-hand or
south-east branch, found it improve much more than I had a