I purposed giving the charge of the camp to Mr. Stuart.--I
had established it on a small sandy rise, whereon we found five or six
native huts. This spot was at the northern extremity of the Park, but a
little advanced into it. Immediately in front of the tents there was a
broad sheet of water shaded by gum-trees, and the low land between this
and the sand hills was also chequered with them. The position was in
every way eligible. The open grassy field or plain stood full in view,
and the men could see the cattle browsing on it, but I directed Mr.
Stuart never to permit them to be without one of the men as a guard, and
to have them secured nightly in the stockyard. In order to provide for
the further security of the camp, I marked out the lines, for the
erection of a stockade, wherein I directed Mr. Stuart to pitch one of the
bell tents. In this tent I instructed him to deposit the arms and
ammunition, and to consider it as the rallying point in the event of any
attack by the natives, in which case I told him his first step would be
to secure the sheep. I desired that the stockade might be commenced as
soon as I left, and that it should be built of palisades 4 1/2 feet above
the ground, and arranged close together. In such a fortification I
considered that the men would be perfectly safe, and as the stockyard was
in a short range of the carbines I felt the cattle would be sufficiently
protected.
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