During the night, a great number of flying-foxes came to revel in the honey of the blossoms of the gum trees.  Charley shot three, and we made a late but welcome supper of them.  They were not so fat as those we had eaten before, and tasted a little strong; but, in messes made at night, it was always difficult to find out the cause of any particular taste, as Master Brown wished to get as quickly as possible over his work, and was not over particular in cleaning them.  Platycercus versicolor (the Port Essington Parrakeet) visited, in large flocks, the blossoms of the gum trees, and was quite as noisy through the day, as the flying-fox was during the night.

Oct. 31.—­When we were going to start, Brown’s old horse was absent, and after much searching, the poor brute was found lying at the opposite side of the creek, with its back down the slope, and unable to move.  We succeeded in turning him, and helping him to rise, but he was so weak, as to be scarcely able to stand:  indeed all our cattle were tired and foot-sore, in consequence of several days travelling over rocky ranges, and required rest.  I therefore determined on remaining here a day, as no place could be better suited for their recovery.  The grass was young and various, the water delightfully cool, and the scattered trees were large and shady.  Numerous birds frequented the water; a species of Ptilotis, with its cheerful and pleasing note, entertained us at daybreak, as the Leatherhead with its constantly changing call and whistling did during the day.  Dacelo cervina, Gould, (the small laughing Jackass) was not heard so frequently nor so regularly as its representative of the east coast.  I found a species of fern (Taeniopsis) along the creek, and a species of Mimosa about three feet high had been observed on the plains and the flats of the Roper.  Charley and Brown went to shoot flying-foxes, and returned at luncheon with twelve; during the afternoon, they went again and brought in thirty more; having left about fifty hanging, wounded, on the trees.  They had been at a large swamp and a pond, connected with the creek, in which Charley declared that he had seen a strange animal “with two horns,” and which had deterred him from going into the water.  As Brown, on the following day, saw a crocodile in the same pond, Charley’s imagination had very probably added two horns to his wonderful animal.

CHAPTER XIV

Interview with A native—­distressing heat—­A horse staked:  It
Dies—­myriads of flying-foxes—­magnificent valley—­friendly natives—­shot
exhausted—­instinct of bullocks—­south alligator river—­friendly natives
with an English handkerchief, and acquainted with fire-arms—­their
language—­mirage.