This terrible misfortune, coming at such an early stage of their journey when they had all the unknown country ahead of them, seriously imperilled the success of their undertaking.

But there was nothing to do but to bear it with what equanimity they could muster.
The Cape York natives now seemed to rejoice that they had another party of white men to dog to death.

Once about twenty of them appeared about sundown and boldly attacked the camp with showers of spears.

Two days afterwards, they surprised the younger Jardine when alone, and he had to fight hard for his life.

The creek they had been following down led them on to the Staaten River, where the blacks succeeded in stampeding their horses, and it was days before some of them were recovered.
On the 5th of December, they left this ill-omened river, and steered due north.