We reached the banks of the little river where the horses awaited us in three hours, the distance being eight miles from the summit of Mount William. There we found a large fire and, under a wide spreading casuarina during a delightful interval of about twenty minutes, I enjoyed the pleasures of eating, sleeping, resting, and warming myself, almost all at the same time. To all who would know how to enjoy most intensely a good fire, shelter, sunshine, and the dry soft turf I would recommend, by way of whet, a winter night on a lofty mountain, without fire, amidst frost-covered rocks and clouds of sleet. I shall long remember the pleasure of those moments of repose which I enjoyed on my arrival in the warm valley after such a night. We could afford no longer delay however, having brought provisions only for one day with us, whereas this was the morning of the third of our absence from the camp. Retracing our steps we reached the little river only at eight in the evening and, as I hoped to find a ford in it at daylight, we lay down on its bank for the night. NIGHT'S REST. July 16. I slept on a snug bit of turf within two feet of the stream; so that the welcome murmur of its rippling waters assisted my dreams of undiscovered rivers. As soon as morning dawned I succeeded in finding a ford on that branch across which we swam our horses on the 13th. We thus met with less cause of delay and reached the camp at an early hour, with excellent appetites for breakfast. NATIVES AT THE CAMP DURING MY ABSENCE. Two natives had visited the party during my absence and had slept by the fires. They had been at cattle stations and could say "milk." They consequently approached our camp boldly, and during the night showed much restlessness, endeavouring to decoy the gins away with them. But The Widow gave the alarm, and very properly handed over these insidious wooers to the especial surveillance of the man on duty. Notwithstanding they were vigilantly watched they contrived to steal a tomahawk, and went off leaving their wooden shovels at our camp, saying they should return. I had now several men on the sicklist, but under the treatment of Drysdale, our medical attendant, they speedily recovered. CHAPTER 3.9.