23rd.
Made preparations for a start for Eucla to-morrow, and put everything in
travelling order. During my absence, Osborn had got the horses' feet in
order, and the pack-saddles had been overhauled, and repairs generally
made. In looking round the camp, Tommy Windich found shoulder-blade of a
horse, and two small pieces of leather. They no doubt belonged to Mr.
Eyre's equipment, and, on reference to his journal, I find he was here
obliged to kill a horse for food. In his journal he writes thus: "Early
on the morning of the 16th April, 1841, I sent the overseer to kill the
unfortunate horse, which was still alive but unable to rise from the
ground, having never moved from the place where he had first been found
lying yesterday morning. The miserable animal was in the most wretched
state possible, thin and emaciated by long and continued suffering, and
labouring under some complaint that in a very few hours, at the farthest,
must have terminated its life." I cut off part of the shoulder-blade, and
have since given it, together with the pieces of leather, to his
Excellency Governor Weld.

A PARTY OF NATIVES.

24th.
Started at 8.30 a.m. en route for Eucla. Steering in a North-North-East
direction for fifteen miles, reached the cliffs, and after following
along them two miles, found a large rock water-hole, but in an almost
inaccessible spot. While I was examining the cliffs near, to find a place
where we could get the horses up, Tommy heard a cooey, and after
answering it a good many times, we were surprised to see two natives
walking up towards us, unarmed. I approached and met them; they did not
appear at all frightened, and at once began to eat the damper I gave