the main party we passed nets for catching emu and nets for catching
fish. We then passed an elderly gin and a little boy watching earnestly
our main party, and immediately afterwards we came upon about a dozen
blacks. Mr. Bourne informed me that they had followed him for several
miles and had persisted in approaching nearer than was desirable. Jemmy
had a long conversation with them respecting the explorers they had seen,
and also respecting the route towards the settled districts, which he
learned some of them had visited. They said they did not remember any
explorers who had larger animals than horses and, strange to say, none
who had drays. We presented them with glass bottles, an empty powder
flask, and some hair from the horses' tales. Jemmy told them we wanted to
encamp and that we did not wish to be too near them. They continued to
follow us and on Jemmy asking them why they did so they replied they
wanted a light. We gave them one and they left; but after we had camped
we found they had encamped very near us. We came here on the following
courses: 11.30 north-north-east seven miles; 12.30 nil; 1.15
north-north-east two miles; 3.15 north-east by east four and
three-quarter miles; 3.35 east-north-east three-quarters of a mile; 4.45
north-east three miles; 5.25 east one mile. Eighteen and a half miles.

April 23. Wednesday. Barcoo River, Camp 54.

During the second watch last night our lives depended on the vigilance of
our watchmen. The blacks came up and probably would have overpowered us
if they had found all asleep; but Jemmy the native trooper, who always
keeps his watch well, awoke us, and all of our party except one
discharged their guns in the direction from where we heard the blacks. I
reserved my charge to shoot at them when I caught sight of them, which I
did not succeed in doing until after daylight. We set off two sky-rockets
but they did not go up well because they were bruised or because the