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came on the camp and having reason
to believe the white woman was
in the camp, we endeavoured
to satisfy ourselves whether she was
really there or not. On our coming
up to the Camp the Blacks
endeavoured to keep us away-
they threw several spears at us
but we at last managed to secure
five prisoners so as to (illegible)
being speared before we could
get any information from them-
but unfortunately before we could
get away from the Camp a fresh
party came upon us. They knocked
me down and while they had
me on the ground speared me
through the hand. I snapped my
Carbine in self defence but it did
not go off. They rushed on top of
me and wrenched the Carbine
from my hand and while one held
me down another of the Blacks
was about to strike me on the
head with the Carbine when I
discharged my a pistol I had in
my belt at him and saved myself.

I recovered my feet and had
a

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a struggle with the Black who
had taken my Carbine and while
I was engaged in doing so-the one
who I had discharged the pistol
at got his spears again and would
have killed me if I had not regained
my Carbine from the other Black
with which I struck him on the head
and again saved myself from
certain death. After about (illegible)
scuffle the Native Policeman and
myself managed to get clear of
the Blacks, and rejoined the party
having secured two of the Blacks
who gave us to understand that
the white woman was not with
them but in another Camp at the
mouth of the River.

December 20th
In consequence of the information
gained from the two Blacks taken
the party under Mr Dana proceeded
to the entrance of the Snowy River
where we arrived before sundown.
Under the cover of the night we got as
near as possible to the Blacks Camp
and waited until the morning.

December 21st
About Sunrise we came upon the
Blacks Camp where we expected
to

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to have found Bungelene and
the white woman – as the Blacks
had told us that they had slept
the night before with the white
woman at this Camp. The
Blacks told us a great many
contradictory stories respecting
the white woman. One of the
gins told us that Bungelene
never allowed the white woman out
of the Camp and immediately afterwards
a Boy told us that she had gone
out with another gin that morning
to get some roots-from information
procured from the Boy we got two
Canoes and in crossing the River
two of our Canoes sunk but
fortunately none of us were drowned
We however regained the shore-but
were all very much exhausted
having been upon bread & water
for some time we got another
Canoe and got back to our Camp

Decr.22nd.
To prevent the two Blacks we
had as guides escaping and
alarming the other Blacks we put
a pair of handcuffs on their legs
at night to keep them from getting
away until the morning when
we