Thursday, November 21.

Quite a calm, the sky completely overcast; whether it will rain or not remains to be seen.  The water in the lake has returned to its old bed.  Temperature at daylight 85 degrees.  From a long conversation I had with a native yesterday, who came to the camp, I am led to believe that only one of the whites was murdered at Lake Cadhibaerri at the time of the attack upon them by the natives there.  On the return of the party from the north-west they repulsed the natives, killing some and wounding others; the party buried their comrade and marched southward.  The natives, on seeing that the whites had proceeded onwards, immediately returned to the scene of the disaster, dug up the body, cut off all the principal muscular parts, and feasted upon their revolting repast.  So minutely does this native know all their movements that he has described to me all the waters they passed and others at which they camped, and waters that they remained at for some time, subsisting on a sort of vetch seed that the natives principally use here for food, and obtained in large quantities on many of the flooded flats by sweeping it into heaps, then winnowing it, then grinding or pounding it between two stones, then mixing it with water into the consistency of damper, and finally making a cake and putting it into the ashes the same way as damper—­when cooked and fit for use it tastes rather strong, but no doubt they could live upon it for a long time as it must be wholesome.  That, with the game and fish they could get from the waters of the creeks and lakes, would keep them alive very well if they did not further attempt to make their way to the Darling (which the native says they did) but I hope soon to see and trust they have not attempted to do so.  If they have not done so, and that they are alive and escaped the natives, their relief is certain.  One thing I cannot arrive at is how long or how many moons it is since they were attacked at Lake Cadhibaerri, as I then could form a much more accurate idea of the truthfulness or otherwise of the native’s statements; but it must be some considerable time as the body I found was perfectly decomposed, and on the skull even there was not a particle of skin, but as bare as if it had lain in a grave for years.  A slight shower this afternoon, hardly sufficient to wet one’s shirt.  Temperature highest during the day 104 degrees, very close and disagreeable; at sunset temperature 88 degrees, heavy clouds all round, not a breath of wind.  Hodgkinson’s party not yet arrived.  If he does not come within the next two days I shall feel very uneasy.  Had a visit from about a score of natives, some of them from the north-east, other two from the west-north-west about the stony desert, as they describe an abundance of stones in that quarter.  Wind from south-east to south, during the night a very little rain.

Friday, November 22.