Dec 7th 1879
My dear brother
I wish to write a few lines to you and let you know how we are geting on, after I had been stuck at the big hill three days I found I might stay there as long again for most of my horses had lost shoes and I had no nails to put others on I could not get any in the Roebourne or Cossack. I packed most of my
to leave the place and it was night he said he knew they would all be killed that night and that he could not defend them in the least for he could not hold a revolver in his hand if one native came he could kill the lot of them for he would have to stand and look on. (illegible text) kept saying he could hear the (illegible text) coming and they would all soon be killed so at last Lilly made up his mind and they
