dried up, he had been unwilling to
move until my return. The reader may well imagine the satisfaction this
news gave me; for had my officer not been so fortunate, our retreat upon
the Darling would have been inevitable, whatever difficulties might have
attended such a movement--for we were in some measure cut off from it, or
should only have made the retreat at an irreparable sacrifice of animals.
Mr. Poole had also been down the creek whereon the camp was posted, and
had found that it overflowed a large plain, but failing to recover the
channel, he supposed it had there terminated. He met a large tribe of
natives, amounting in all to forty or more, who appeared to be changing
their place of abode. They were very quiet and inoffensive, and seemed
rather to avoid than to court any intercourse with the party.

Foulkes, one of the bullock drivers, had had a sharp attack of illness,
but was in some degree recovered. In all other respects everything was
regular, and the stock at hand in the event of their being wanted.

I was exceedingly glad to find that the natives had not shewn any
unfriendly disposition towards Mr. Poole and his men; but I subsequently
learnt from him a circumstance that will in some measure account for
their friendly demonstrations. It would appear that Sullivan and Turpin
when out one day, during my absence, after the cattle, saw a native and
his lubra crossing the plains to the eastward, with some stones for
grinding their grass seed, it being their harvest time. Sullivan went
after them; but they were exceedingly alarmed, and as he approached the
woman set fire to the grass; but on seeing him bound over the flaming
tussocks, they threw themselves on the ground, and as the lad saw their
terror he left them and returned to his companion. No sooner, however,
had these poor creatures escaped one dreaded object than they encountered
another, in the shape of Mack, who was on horseback. As soon as they saw
him they took to their heels; but putting his horse into a canter, he was
up with them before they were aware of it; on this they threw down their
stones, bags, net, and fire-stick, and scrambled up into a tree. The
fire-stick set the grass on fire, and all their valuables would have been
consumed, if Mack had not very properly dismounted and extinguished the
flames, and put the net and bags in a place of safety. He could not,
however, persuade either of the natives to descend, and therefore rode
away. M