ation. Their conduct, indeed, exceeded all praise, nor did they
hesitate one moment when I called upon them to undertake this last
trying duty, after such continued exertion. I am sure the reader will
forgive me for bringing under his notice the generous efforts of these
two men; by me it can never be forgotten.

ABANDON AND BURN THE BOAT.

Six days had passed since their departure; we remaining encamped.
M'Leay and myself had made some short excursions, but without any
result worthy of notice. A group of sand-hills rose in the midst of the
alluvial deposits, about a quarter of a mile from the tents, that were
covered with coarse grasses and banksias. We shot several intertropical
birds feeding in the latter, and sucking the honey from their flowers.
I had, in the mean time, directed Clayton to make some plant cases of
the upper planks of the boat, and then to set fire to her, for she was
wholly unserviceable, and I felt a reluctance to leave her like a
neglected log on the water. The last ounce of flour had been served out
to the men, and the whole of it was consumed on the sixth day from that
on which we had abandoned the boat. I had calculated on seeing
Hopkinson again in eight days, but as the morrow would see us without
food, I thought, as the men had had a little rest it would be better to
advance towards relief than to await its arrival.

MEN RETURN WITH SUPPLIES.

On the evening of the 18th, therefore, we buried our specimens and
other stores, intending to break up the camp in the morning. A singular
bird, which invariably passed it at an hour after sunset, and which,
from its heavy flight, appeared to be of unusual size so attracted my
notice, that in the evening M'Leay and I crossed the river, in hope to
get a shot at it. We had, however, hardly landed on the other side,
when a loud shout called us back to witness the return of our comrades.

They were both of them in a state that beggars description. Their knees
and ankles were dreadfully swollen, and their limbs so painful, that as
soon as they arrived in the camp they sunk under their efforts, but
they met us with smiling countenances, and expressed their satisfaction
at having arrived so seasonably to our relief. They had, as I had
foreseen, found Robert Harris on the plain, which they reached on the
evening of the third day. They had started early the next morning on
their return with such supplies as they thought we might immediately
want. Poor Macn