SUFFERINGS FROM HEAT AND PRIVATION.

We had a small quantity of portable soup with us, nearly all of which we used, and it in some degree restored us, but another miserable night was passed by us all and in the morning I was grieved to see how ill many of the men looked.  Their situation was really deplorable and I had with me neither medicines nor proper food to give them.  Abundance of these lay at our depot not more than forty miles from us, yet to reach it was impossible; and dawn this morning had only revealed to us a heavier surf and stronger gale from the southward than we had yet experienced.  None of the men were well enough to undergo the fatigue of another day’s walking, so I busied myself with making observations and taking bearings, and thus the forenoon wore away.  The point of the coast on which we were lay in 24 degrees 30 minutes south latitude, and the mean temperature up to this period had been: 

6 A.M. 76. 12 M. 83. 3 P.M. 87. 6 P.M. 78 degrees.

At noon a portion of some disgusting damper and a small piece of pork was served out to each of us and, having soon disposed of this, the men lay down under the side of the boats, seeking some shelter from the burning rays of a tropical sun which, being reflected back from the white sand, were very oppressive.

AFFRAY WITH THE NATIVES.

I was occupied in sketching in a portion of the coastline, and whilst thus engaged I thought I saw the figures of two natives moving upon a hill a few hundred yards to the north of us; they appeared to me to be behind some low bushes which were close to the summit of this hill.  I watched the bushes narrowly and felt nearly confident I saw them; but however to be sure beyond a doubt I got up and took my eyes from the spot for a few seconds whilst I walked to get my telescope.  I then carefully examined the hill with the glass and could see nothing but the low bushes on it.  “A pretty bushman I am,” I thought to myself, “to be thus deceived with two old shrubs; I should have known a native better;” and with a feeling almost of annoyance at my mistake I resumed my seat on an inverted water-keg and went on with my drawing.  Within a minute’s time an alarm of natives was given, and starting up I saw from twenty to thirty on some sandhills to the north of us, distant about two hundred yards; their spears were fixed in their throwing-sticks and they evidently were prepared for a fray.  I therefore ran to the boat for my gun, which Ruston tried to get out for me; and at this moment, on casting my eyes upwards, I saw a native start up on the sandbank not more than fifteen yards from Ruston and myself; he poised his spear for one second, and it then came whistling at us.  I dodged and the spear flew past without my seeing what became of it.  I instantly gave the order to watch the bank and to fire at anything that showed itself above it; and Mr. Walker now had got hold of his gun and very gallantly ran up the bank and occupied it:  in the meantime the native who had thrown the spear caught up a bag in each hand and ran off.  Several shots which were fired at the distant natives scraped up the sand so near them that they found it prudent to decamp as speedily as they could.