Page:Life and Adventures of William Buckley.djvu/157

 quarters, where the animal was very happy during his temporary rest; until one day a native came running to me in great sorrow, saying he was bleeding very much and nearly dead. Mr. Batman happening to be near, we went away together to where the horse was, and found he had been, what is called, ham-strung; all the hind sinews of his legs having been cut through by some white, or other savage.

My poor horse died, and I took passage by a vessel to Geelong, in order there to provide myself with another, and thence pursue my search, although I had long since concluded upon its being useless, after the absurd efforts which had been made by those who, no doubt, most anxiously desired to recover the lost gentlemen, but knew nothing about how successfully to accomplish so difficult an undertaking in such a country and under such circumstances. Mr. Gellibrand, junior, did all he could; and as a son, was naturally excited and influenced by all proper feelings of regret, anxiety, and perseverance; but what could he do, overruled as he was by others, who had done more harm than good in the search, as I have already shown, by their improper interference with me, who might have led to the discovery of the lost travellers, either dead or alive.

Having obtained permission, I at length set off alone, and at Mr. Reibey's station received intelligence that a native and his daughter had been shot by the natives who had accompanied the three gentlemen that preceded me from Melbourne by land, and who, being much alarmed at the circumstance just recorded, had