In the grassy shady bed of the creek, lifting
their tails, scratching the ground with their fore feet, and shaking
their horns at us, as if to say, we'll have a run before you catch us.
The latitude of these water-holes was 18 degrees 4 minutes 27 seconds,
and they were about nine miles from the crossing place of the river,
which I calculated to be in longitude 139 degrees 20 minutes (appr.). The
plains were covered with flocks of small white cockatoos, (Cocatua
sanguinea, GOULD.) which Mr. Gilbert had mentioned as having been found
in Port Essington: their cry was rather plaintive, and less unmelodious
than the scream of the large cockatoo; nor were they so shy and wary,
particularly when approaching the water.
August 15. - Our beasts were so heavily laden with the meat of two
bullocks, that I found it rather difficult to carry the additional meat
of the emus. We, however, divided every emu into four parts - the chest,
the rump, and the two thighs - and suspended each of the latter to one of
the four hooks of a packsaddle; the remaining parts were carried on our
horses.
We travelled about eight miles north-north-west, over a succession of
plains, interrupted by some watercourses, and a good sized creek. At the
end of the day's stage, we found a small pool of water in a little creek
which we had followed down.
