Monday 21 November 1836

Monday 21st November.

Yesterday was passed in a quiet peaceable kind of way, none of us leaving our home. The heat exceeded anything we have as yet felt. The mosquitoes made their appearance at Rapid Bay and were very numerous. The thermometer in the tents was 123⁰ at mid-day and below 60⁰ in the evening. This morning at daybreak I rose to join the Surveyors who were going to take a long [way?] round but being of straying habits I lost them before I had been away an hour and pursued my course with my gun for a companion. I shot a great many birds chiefly of the Parrot tribe which are very good eating – Being very much fatigued about mid-day, and thirsty in proportion to the heat, I was lothe to leave a stream that I found between N.W. High Bluff and Cape Jervis and consequently determined on shooting my way along it to a small beach where it emptied itself. The cliffs each side were so perpendicular that I was obliged to walk in the bed of the stream for more than a mile knee deep in mud and water. I was weary and well nigh exhausted and just had the little beach with the fresh sea breeze within my grasp where I intended resting until the cool of the evening when lo I found the very haven of my repose occupied by a tribe of strange natives. Being solus and not at all inclined to be eaten I quickly retraced my steps and as good luck would have it, unperceived by the black gentry who, I have learnt from our Sealer, belong to Encounter Bay. I arrived at our camp at 4 p.m. more dead than alive but am now considerably [refreshed?] by my tea of which I have swallowed six cups.