or five of the party to pull them across by the rope.  Their efforts to save them nearly cost their own lives, and A. Jardine chronicles receiving a “nasty crack” in the head from a log in attempting to disentangle his own horse “Jack” from the vines, one which might have closed his career, had it been a degree harder, the other, “Blokus,” was a Government horse, belonging to Mr Richardson; both were useful horses, and a great loss to the party, but only the forerunner of much greater ones.  The creek at last crossed, the party attempted to push forward on the other side, but after travelling a mile leading the horses, slushing through bog and swamp under a heavy rain, they were obliged to turn back and encamp on some high ground on the banks of the creek, about half-a-mile above the crossing, where there was a little good grass.  Several of their horses were left behind bogged, one mare in particular, “Nell Gwynne,” being too weak to travel.  Distance 3 miles.  Course N. (Camp LXVII.)

‘January’ 12.—­It was determined to camp here to-day, both to spell the weak horses and dry many things that had got wet.  The horses left bogged the previous night were got out, when on returning to the camp, it was found that a number of the others were poisoned, and one missing.  The black-boys were immediately sent out in search of him, but were unsuccessful.  Meanwhile the party being unable to shift camp that day, a yard was immediately formed, all herbs carefully pulled up in and about it, and the horses penned there.  The precaution came too late, for before evening five of them besides the missing one ("Rasper”) were dead.  It was supposed that “Rasper” must have got into the river and been drowned, as one of the effects of the poison is complete blindness.  The symptoms are thus described.  Profuse sweating, with a heaving of the flanks, the ears droop, the eyes glaze, set, and the animal finally turns stone blind.  He then lies down, struggles fitfully for several hours, and never rises again.  This was a heavy blow.  Ten of their horses were now gone, eight of which were picked, and the best of the whole number, besides being the best conditioned, one peculiarity of the poison being that it appears to attack the fattest animals.  A careful search was made to detect the plant that caused this fearful loss, but unsuccessfully.  The number of horses being now reduced to twenty-one, and those the poorest and worst, it became necessary to take only what was actually wanted of their baggage, and to abandon the remainder.  A cache was accordingly dug, and 25 sets of horse-shoes, a lot of nails and other miscellaneous articles were buried at the foot of an iron acacia on the top of the ridge and facing the creek, on which was marked in a sheild F J over LXVII. over dig in heart.  The horses were kept in the yard all night, and the rest of the day and evening spent in disposing of the reduced loading, and making preparations for leaving this fatal camp.  The rain continued to fall heavily throughout the day, which could not under the circumstances, have increased the cheerfulness of the party.  The Leader, however, closes the entry in his Diary with “Nil Desperandum” merely marking the day of the week in parenthesis as ("Black Thursday.”)