and the presents we offered them were treated with contempt.  When we found they would not allow us to come near them, we packed our horses and prepared to start.  They followed us at some distance, continually throwing spears after us for some time; one was thrown into the thigh of a horse, but fortunately not being barbed it was taken out, and the horse was not much injured.  We then rode after them in two or three directions and fired at them, and they left us, and we saw no more of them.

October 11.

To-day, when halting in a place where there was no water, but good grass, a tribe of natives made their appearance, and appeared disposed to be friendly.  We carefully collected our horses, and shortly after the natives drew near to us.  We made them presents of a few fish-hooks and tin plates, and made signs to them that we wanted water.  Several of them ran off, and in a few minutes returned with water in a vessel (if it may be so called) composed of pieces of bark tied together at each end, and they continued going backwards and forwards until they had brought enough to fill our cans, besides what we drank.  They left us quite quietly.

October 12.

We proceeded along the creek by which we had encamped the night before; the water was brackish.  We attempted to go through some mangroves to the beach, but did not succeed.

October 13.

Jackey, Taylor, and myself took three horses, and tried to get to the beach more to the northward than yesterday.  We passed through a belt of mangroves, where the ground was pretty firm, the tide coming up only occasionally; we then proceeded along a sandy ridge to the northward, when we found it succeeded by a saltwater lagoon, surrounded by salsolaceous plants and mangroves, which it was impossible to get through.  We returned to our camp, and here Mr. Kennedy abandoned the thought of going to the beach, as he felt sure H.M.S.  Bramble (which was to have met us at the beginning of August) would have gone; our journey having occupied so much longer time than we could have possibly anticipated.  This consideration, combined with the great difficulty which seemed likely to ensue in obtaining water and feed for our horses, determined him to take a different direction.

October 15.

We had prayers as usual this day, being Sunday, at 11 o’clock; today we finished the consumption of all our sugar, except a very small quantity, which was reserved for any particular case of sickness.

October 16.

This morning a horse fell into a rocky waterhole, and finding it impossible to get him out alive, we killed him, and cured the flesh as before, drying it in the sun on a stage; the blood, heart, and liver furnished us with a good day’s food.  Our meat being well dried by five o’clock in the afternoon, we sprinkled some salt upon it, and put it in bags for the convenience of carrying.  We left one of our round tents, and such other things as we could possibly spare behind us at the camp, as our horses were now so weak they could not carry their loads.