ack happened to be with Mr. Poole at the time he met the tribe,
and was recognised by the man and woman, who offered both him and Mr.
Poole some of their cakes. Had the behaviour of my men been different,
they would most likely have suffered for it; but I was exceedingly
pleased at their strict compliance with my orders in this respect, and
did not fail to express my satisfaction, and to point out the beneficial
consequences of such conduct.

Mr. Poole having thus communicated with the natives, I was anxious to
profit by it, and if possible to establish a friendly intercourse; the
day after my arrival at the camp, therefore, I went down the creek with
Mack in the hope of seeing them. I took a horse loaded with sugar and
presents, and had every anticipation of success; but we were
disappointed, since the whole tribe had crossed the plains, on the hard
surface of which we lost their tracks. On this ride I found a beautiful
little kidney bean growing as a runner amongst the grass, on small
patches of land subject to flood. It had a yellow blossom, and the seed
was very small and difficult to collect, as it appeared to be immediately
attacked by insects.

The fact of the natives having crossed the plain confirmed my impression
that the creek picked up beyond it, and I determined on the first
favourable opportunity to ascertain that fact. It now, however, only
remained for me to place the camp in a more convenient position. To do
this we moved on the 27th, and whilst Mr. Browne led the party across the
plains, I rode on ahead with Mr. Poole to select the ground on which to
pitch our tents. At the distance of seven miles we arrived at the
entrance of the little rocky glen through which the creek passes, and at
once found ourselves on the brink of a fine pond of water, shaded by
trees and cliffs. The scenery was so different from any we had hitherto
seen, that I was quite delighted, but the ground being sandy was unfit
for us, we therefore turned down the creek towards the long sheet of
water Mr. Poole had mentioned, and waited there until the drays arrived,
when we pitched our tents close to it, little imagining that we were
destined to remain at that lonely spot for six weary months. We were not
then aware that our advance and our retreat were alike cut off.

CHAPTER VI.

THE DEPOT--FURTHER PROGRESS CHECKED--CHARACTER OF THE RANGES--JOURNEY TO
THE NORTH-EAST--RETURN--JOURNEY TO THE WEST--RETURN--AGAIN PROCEED TO