than would have been obtained at a township by public auction. Neither
did he purchase them so much because he wanted them as to oblige me. He
also supplied us with as much beef and butter as we required to take with
us, and would not accept payment for any supplies that were raised by
themselves.

Tuesday May 23. About ten miles below Mr. Kennedy's Camp 19, camp on the
Warrego River.

As the road was indistinct Messrs. Williams kindly accompanied us to the
stage, about two and a half miles this side of the station, where they
showed us the tree marked by Mr. Kennedy K XIX. The horsemanship and
bushmanship displayed by these young Australians were very remarkable. A
large portion of my life has been spent in the bush, yet dray-tracks that
I could only follow at a few places they evidently considered at all
places a plain road.

May 24. About half a mile below the tree marked by Mr. Kennedy K XXI.

This morning we left our last camp at 9.15. When we had travelled down on
the east bank of the river about twenty-eight miles, at 3.50 in the
afternoon, we reached here. On the bank there is a station occupied by
Mr. Con, and on the opposite bank a station occupied by Mr. Gallagher.
The country we passed over today is as fine, rich and well-grassed as any
person could wish for pastoral purposes. A few weeks ago the hut-keeper,
an inoffensive old man who thought the blacks were harmless, was killed
and shockingly mangled by them, and the hut robbed, in the absence of the
stockman. With the contents of a bottle of rum we had long preserved, in
case it might be wanted for medicinal purposes, we drank the health and
many returns of the birthday of Her Majesty Queen Victoria.