July 17.

In these times, when I saw the animals brought up by the men all safe from the river in the morning, I was wont to thank God in my heart for their preservation.  This morning I set out on a direct line for our former camp, not so much for the sake of cutting off two miles, which we did, as to avoid the very soft and heavy ground through which we had travelled with difficulty in the journey down.  In this last and more direct line we found excellent firm plains for nearly the whole of the way; and we fell in with our old route where I wished, exactly at our former camp.  Thus we had got over a day’s stage by half-past one o’clock.  The cattle were tired, but as we would be here in the midst of scrub and brush, and close to a large camp of natives, we continued our route about five miles further, to the spot where we had before repaired the wheels, and we reached it at five o’clock.  One poor bullock laid down by the way and we were obliged to leave it.  We heard no natives on the river, although it was here that we first fell in with the tribe which followed us down; and from the absence of all natives now it seemed that they had heard of the affair on the river, and kept out of our way perhaps from fear of us; at all events their absence was a great comfort, and we hoped it might continue.

July 18.

Two men went back early this morning and brought on old Pistol, the bullock which had lain down the day before.  We started at ten o’clock, passing our encampment of the 1st July and halting on the bank of the river bed where, on coming down, we had found some water.  It was now however dried up, but we had taken the precaution to bring on enough for the party, and there was good food for the cattle, and great appearance of rain falling.  We had no occasion therefore to send to the river, which was a long way off.  Pistol again fell behind this afternoon, and it was really distressing to see the animals in so weak a state with such a long journey still before them.

ILLNESS OF SOME OF THE MEN FROM SCURVY.

Some men now showed symptoms of scurvy and Robert Whiting, being unable to walk, had to be carried on the carts.  The clover-leaved plant* growing here was therefore cooked for the men as a vegetable; and such medicines were administered as were likely to check the complaint:  near this lagoon we also found the Plantago varia of Mr. Brown.  The weather appeared unsettled; the sky again lowering, and at sunset it was overcast with portentous rainy-looking clouds.  The air had become mild when the wind, which had blown some days from the south and south-west, suddenly came round to the north, and a few drops of rain fell in the evening.

(Footnote.  Trigonella suavissima, Lindley Manuscripts see above.)

July 19.