upon which Charley insinuated that they had not seen it, because they had galloped their horses past it.  This accusation of galloping their horses irritated Brown, who was very fond and proud of his horse; and a serious quarrel of a rather ridiculous character ensued.  Keeping myself entirely neutral, I soon found that I derived the greatest advantage from their animosity to each other, as each tried to outdo the other in readiness to serve me.  To-day, Charley, who was usually the last to rise in the morning, roused even me, and brought the horses before our breakfast was ready.  Brown’s fondness for spinning a yarn will soon, however, induce him to put an end to this feud with his companion and countryman.  In the early part of our journey, one or other of our party kept a regular night-watch, as well to guard us from any night attack of the natives, as to look after our bullocks; but, latterly, this prudential measure, or rather its regularity, has been much neglected.  Mr. Roper’s watch was handed from one to another in alphabetical rotation at given intervals, but no one thought of actually watching; it was, in fact, considered to be a mere matter of form.  I did not check this, because there was nothing apparently to apprehend from the natives, who always evinced terror in meeting us; and all our communications with them have been accidental and never sought by them.  On that point, therefore, I was not apprehensive; and, as to the bullocks, they were now accustomed to feed at large, and we seldom had any difficulty in recovering them in the morning.  I shall here particularise the routine of one of our days, which will serve as an example of all the rest.  I usually rise when I hear the merry laugh of the laughing-jackass (Dacelo gigantea), which, from its regularity, has not been unaptly named the settlers’ clock; a loud cooee then roused my companions,—­Brown to make tea, Mr. Calvert to season the stew with salt and marjoram, and myself and the others to wash, and to prepare our breakfast, which, for the party, consists of two pounds and a-half of meat, stewed over night; and to each a quart pot of tea.  Mr. Calvert then gives to each his portion, and, by the time this important duty is performed, Charley generally arrives with the horses, which are then prepared for their day’s duty.  After breakfast, Charley goes with John Murphy to fetch the bullocks, which are generally brought in a little after seven o’clock a.m.  The work of loading follows, but this requires very little time now, our stock being much reduced; and, at about a quarter to eight o’clock, we move on, and continue travelling four hours, and, if possible, select a spot for our camp.  The Burdekin, which has befriended us so much by its direct course and constant stream, already for more than two degrees of latitude and two of longitude, has not always furnished us with the most convenient camps for procuring water.  The banks generally formed steep slopes descending into