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185

Heard blacks talking last night.

Monday Novr. 6th

Left camp at six o'clock travelled till 10.30 did about 12 miles
expect to do about six or 8 more before night but always now give horses a means of
spell for three hours or so in middle of day. Flies are very troublesome in this country.
Last night mosquitoes prevented sleep altogether as far as I was concerned and the heavy fall of dew made everything
wet. I am in hopes that we shall be at King Georges Sound before next Sunday if all goes well
and we keep on at the same rate as we have been doing. The packs are very light so that the horses
which are in pretty good condition have been lightly loaded. My mare is grand for in addition to my weight
she has other things to carry that weigh about 56 pounds I should think. The country today is rather
better as regards grass there being much more of it in fact pretty good picking.
It does not seem to have been burnt off so much. There was every appearance of rain this morning but the cloud
passed over. The other fellows except Old Tom, Josey and I are shooting ducks. I do not think our
provisions will fall short in fact though it might be noted in the diary it is much more comfortable to think we shall not
starve. Got some seeds of native musk also some nuts of that fine [see drawing opposite]
shrub or tree of good foliage. Sid seems
very glum. He takes no medicine now having come to the conclusion that it is
blood that requires [indecipherable] when I told him so before and gave him no medicine he thought
he was neglected. I was taking none myself. Travelled altogether about fifteen or sixteen miles
and camped by side of river. Travelled beside grand range for last two hours.

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that I could not have done the river as they were doing it and advising him generally.