stuffing. He says everything of the saddlery was burned, the ironwork
kept and the other bodies eaten--a sad end of the poor fellows. He stated
that there is a pistol north-east of us at a creek which I have sent him
to fetch; and a rifle or gun at the lake we last passed which, with the
other articles, we will endeavour to recover. Exceedingly hot; windy and
looks as if it would rain. The natives describe the country from south to
north of east as being destitute of water or creeks, which I afterwards
found cause to doubt. I have marked a tree here on north side MK Oct. 22,
'61; west side, Dig 1 ft.; where I will bury a memo in case anyone should
see my tracks, that they may know the fate of the party we are in search
of. There are tens of thousands of the flock pigeon here; in fact since
we came north of Lake Torrens they have been very numerous and at same
time very wary. Mr. Hodgkinson has been very successful in killing as
many of them as we can use, mixed with a little bacon. Before the native
went to fetch the pistol he displayed on his body, both before and
behind, the marks of ball and shot wounds now quite healed. One ball
inside of left knee so disabled him that he had to be carried about (as
he states) for some considerable time; he has also the mark of a pistol
bullet on right collarbone; and on his breast a number of shot--some now
in the flesh but healed. His family, consisting of four lubras and two
boys, remained close to our camp awaiting his return, which he said (from
pointing to the sun) would be 10 or 11 o'clock next day. When called at
twenty minutes to 11 p.m. to take my watch, I had not been on duty ten
minutes when I observed a signal fire in the direction he had gone, about
six miles distant, and wondered he did not make his appearance, but all
was quiet for the rest of the night, excepting that at intervals the fire
was replenished.

Wednesday, October 23.