icion. I was, in truth, very glad to take a native of Williorara up
with me, because I entertained great doubts as to the reception we should
meet with from the tribe, on our arrival there, in consequence of the
unhappy occurrence that took place between them and Sir Thomas Mitchell,
during a former expedition; and I hoped also to glean from this native
some information as to the distant interior. Both the Darling natives
were fine specimens of their race. One in particular, Toonda, was a
good-looking fellow, with sinews as tough as a rope. It also appeared to
me that they had a darker shade of colour than the natives of the Murray.

Nadbuck turned out to be a merry old man, and a perfect politician in his
way, very fond of women and jimbuck (sheep), and exceedingly
good-humoured with all. He here brought Davenport a large quantity of the
fruit of the Fusanus, of which he made an excellent jam, too good indeed
to keep; but if we could have anticipated the disease by which we were
afterwards attacked, its preservation would have been above all price.
The natives do not eat this fruit in any quantity, nor do I think that in
its raw state it is wholesome. They appeared to me tol ive chiefly on
vegetables during the season of the year that we passed up the Murray,
herbs and roots certainly constituted their principal food.

I had hoped that the weather would have cleared during the night, but in
this I was disappointed. On the 17th we had again continued rain until
sunset, when the sky cleared to windward and the glass rose. We were
however unable to stir, and so lost another day. About noon Nadbuck came
to inform me that the young native from Laidley's Ponds, who was on his
way to Moorundi, had just told him that only a few days before he
commenced his journey, the Darling natives had attacked an overland party
coming down the river, and had killed them all, in number fifteen. I
therefore sent for the lad, and with Mr. Browne's assistance examined
him. He was perfectly consistent in his story; mentioned the number of
drays, and said that the white fellows were all asleep when the natives
attacked them amongst the lagoons, and that only one native, a woman, was
killed; the blacks, he added, had plenty of shirts and jackets. Doubtful
as I was of this story, and equally puzzled to guess what party could
have been coming down the Darling, it was impossible not to give some
little credit to the tale of this young cub; for he nei