taken.  Description of body, skull, etc:  marked with slight sabre cuts, apparently two in number, one immediately over the left eye, the other on the right temple, inclining over right ear, more deep than the left.  Decayed teeth existed on both sides of lower jaw and right of upper; the other teeth were entire and sound.  In the lower jaw were two teeth, one on each side (four between in front) rather projecting as is sometimes called in the upper jaw buck teeth.  I have measured the bones of the thigh and leg, as well as the arm, with a cord, not having any other method of doing it.  Gathered all the bones together and buried them again, cutting a lot of boughs and other wood, and putting over top of the earth.  Body lies with head south, feet north, lying on face, head severed from body.  On a small tree, immediately south, we marked MK Oct. 21, ’61.  Immediately this was over we questioned the native further on the subject of his death.  He says he was killed by a stroke from what the natives use as a sword (an instrument of semicircular form) five to eight feet long and very formidable.  He showed us where the whites had been in camp when attacked.  We saw lots of fish bones but no evidence then on the trees to suppose whites had been there.  They had certainly chosen a very bad camp in the centre of a box scrub with native huts within 150 to 200 yards of them.  On further examination we found the dung of camels and horse or horses, evidently tied up a long time ago.  Between that and the grave we found another grave, evidently dug with a spade or shovel, and a lot of human hair of two colours, that had become decomposed, on the skin of the skull, and fallen off in flakes—­some of which I have also taken.  I fancy they must all have been murdered here; dug out the new-formed grave with a stick (the only instrument we had) but found no remains of bodies save one little bone.  The black accounted for this in this manner, he says they had eaten them.  Found in an old fireplace immediately adjoining what appeared to be bones very well burned, but not in any quantity.  In and about the last grave named a piece of light blue tweed and fragments of paper and small pieces of a Nautical Almanac were found, and an exploded Eley’s cartridge.  No appearance on any of the trees of bullet marks as if a struggle had taken place.  On a further examination of the blacks’ camp where the pint pot was found there was also found a tin canteen, similar to what is used for keeping naphtha in, or some such stuff, both of which we keep.  The native says that any memos the whites had are back on the last camp we were at on the lake, with the natives, as well as the ironwork of saddles which on our return we mean to endeavour to recover if the blacks can be found; it may be rash but there is necessity for it.  I intend before returning to have a further search.  No natives yet seen here.

Tuesday, October 22.