After getting off the reef, light winds and calms delayed the voyage to
the Victoria River; but as the Tom Tough worked along the coast better
than the Monarch, I went on with the schooner to examine the entrance of
the river. Ascending the Victoria to Blunder Bay, found that the locality
was not suited for landing horses, and therefore returned to Treachery
Bay, near which Mr. H.C. Gregory had discovered abundance of grass and
water under Providence Hill of Captain Stokes; commenced landing the
horses on the 18th; but, in consequence of the strong tides and extensive
mangrove flats, great difficulties were encountered, the horses having to
swim more than two miles from the vessel to the shore, and were so
exhausted that three were drowned, one lost in the mud and mangroves, and
one went mad and rushed into the bush and was lost. Having transferred
the stores to the Tom Tough, on the 24th the Monarch sailed for
Singapore. Mr. Wilson was instructed to proceed in the schooner up the
Victoria River, and to establish a camp at the highest convenient
position on the bank of the river, while I proceeded overland with Mr. H.
Gregory, Dr. Mueller, and seven of the men, hoping, by easy journeys of
eight to ten miles per day, to give the horses time to partially recover
the effects of the voyage.