ery well with them. Poor
Toonda here heard of the death of some relative during his absence, and
had a great cry over it. He and the native who communicated the news sat
down opposite to one another with crossed legs, and their hands on each
other's shoulders. They then inclined their heads forward, so as to rest
on each other's breasts and wept violently. This overflow of grief,
however, did not last long, and Toonda shortly afterwards came to me for
some flour for his friend, who he said was very hungry.

As it appeared to me that we should have to remain for some time in the
neighbourhood of Laidley's Ponds, I had directed my inquiries to the
state of the country near them, and learnt both from Nadbuck and Toonda,
that we should find an abundance of grass for the cattle. I was not
however very well satisfied with the change that had taken place within a
few miles, in the appearance of the river, and the size of the flats,
these latter having greatly diminished, and become less verdant. On the
10th we started on a west course, but at about a mile changed it for a
due north one, which we kept for about five miles over plains rather more
than usually elevated above the river flats. From these plains the range
was distinctly visible, now bearing N. 10 degrees E., and N. 26 degrees
and 38 degrees W., distant 35 miles. It still appeared low, nor could we
make out its character; three cones marked its southern extremity, and I
concluded that it was a part of Scrope's Range. With the exception of
these hills there were none other visible from Laidley's Ponds.

The ground whereon we now travelled was hard and firm, so that we
progressed rapidly, and at five miles descended into a bare flat of
whitish clay, on which a few bushes of polygonum were alone growing under
box-trees. At about two hundred yards we were stopped by a watercourse,
into which the floods of the Darling were flowing with great velocity. It
was about fifty yards broad, had low muddy banks, and was decidedly the
poorest spot we had seen of the kind. This, Nadbuck informed me, was the
Williorara or Laidley's Ponds, a piece of intelligence at which I was
utterly confounded. I could not but reproach both him and Toonda for
having so deceived me; but the latter said he had been away a long time
and that there was plenty of grass when he left. Nadbuck, on the other
hand, said he derived his information from others, and only told me what
they told him. Be that as i