Before we reached any water on our way from the ship, we observed, at
some distance from us, several blacks, of whom three gins and three
children we overtook in their camps. These we tried to persuade by signs
to lead us to the nearest water, but they were so extremely terrified
that they clung to each other and would not move, except to point in the
direction in which by our proceeding a short distance we found it
ourselves.

On the 17th October the ship was taken alongside of the western bank of
the river, and, a landing stage having been made, twenty-three of the
horses were walked on shore and driven up to Frost's Ponds; the remaining
two from their being too weak were kept on board. A few of the horses
after their voyage were in good order, and the most of the others, which
were in such low condition from their insufficient allowance of water
from Moreton Bay to Torres Strait, now showed, from their having plenty
of water since their reshipment at Hardy's Islands, that they were in a
thriving state.

On the 20th Messrs. Bourne, Moore, Frost, and two troopers started up the
river on a shooting and land excursion. I accompanied them to near
Frost's Ponds where the horses were running, and I was glad to find the
horses were doing well, as I expected they would do, from the herbage of
the plains in that neighbourhood being of the most fattening character.
Late in the evening our sportsmen returned and gave a most glowing
description of about eight miles of the plains they had crossed in going
to and returning from some waterholes they had found, one of which was
within half a mile of the river. As they made their excursion an
exploring rather than a sporting expedition they shot very little,
although they saw several wallabies on the plains, and crowds of duck and
other aquatic fowl at the waterholes they passed in the course of their