and we were also much annoyed by flies.
We all suffered more or less from bad eyes.

December 9.

The natives visited us this morning, and brought with them a few pieces
of turtles' entrails and a few nondas. I gave them an old shirt and a
knife, the latter of which was highly prized by them. They call turtle
mallii, and the sun youmboll. Goddard had a fit of ague to-day, followed
by fever.

December 10.

We all of us had fits of ague this morning, and none of us could get up
till the afternoon, when, being Sunday, I read prayers.

December 11.

The natives came this morning, and brought us a little vegetable paste,
and some pieces of turtles' entrails, with some sharks' liver. The latter
was fresh, but one could not eat it, as it all melted into a yellowish
oil, when boiled for a few minutes. I gave them a few fish-hooks, but
found it very difficult to get them to leave the camp.

December 13.

This morning Mitchell was found dead by the side of the creek, with his
feet in the water. He must have gone down at night to get water, but too
much exhausted to perform his task, had sat down and died there. None of
us being strong enough to dig a grave for him, we sewed the body in a
blanket, with a few stones to sink it, and then put it into the brackish
water.

December 15.

The thermometer fell this morning and was broken. It was raining heavily
all day, and two bags of my seeds, and several other little things, were
washed out of the tent by the water which ran down the hill. We were all
very ill and weak.

December 16.

It was raining this morning, and we remained in the tent. Hearing one of
our dogs barking, however, I went out and saw several natives with pieces
of fish and turtle, which I took from them, when they left us. The
natives also brought us some roasted nymphaea roots, which they call
dillii. During the last few days we shot seven pigeons. Wall and Goddard
used to go into the scrub and sit beneath a tree, to which they used to
come for berries to feed their young, and watching their opportunity,
shoot them.

December 21.

Our kangaroo dog being very weak, and unable to catch anything, we
killed, and lived on him for two days. There was very little flesh on his
bones, but our dried meat was so bad, that we very much enjoyed the
remains of our old companion, and drank the water in which we boiled him.

December 24.

The natives took a tin case from Wall whilst he was talking to them, he