plains at the Depot,
they had gum-trees all round them, and a line of the same trees running
through their centre.

Entering upon them on a north-west course, we proceeded over the open
ground, and saw three dark figures in the distance, who proved to be
women gathering seeds. They did not perceive us until we were so near to
them that they could not escape, but stood for some time transfixed with
amazement. On riding up we dismounted, and asked them by signs where
there was any water, to which question they signified most energetically
that there was none in the direction we were going, that it was to the
west. One of these women had a jet black skin, and long curling glossy
ringlets. She seemed indeed almost of a different race, and was, without
doubt, a secondary object of consideration with her companions; who, to
secure themselves I fancy, intimated to us that we might take her away;
this, however, we declined doing. One of the women went on with her
occupation of cleaning the grass seeds she had collected, all the time we
remained, humming a melancholy dirge. On leaving them, and turning to the
point where they said no water was to be found, they exhibited great
alarm, and followed us at a distance. Soon after we passed close to some
gum-trees and found a small dry channel under a sand hill on the other
side, running this down we came suddenly on two bough huts, before which
two or three little urchins were playing, who, the moment they saw us,
popped into the huts like rabbits. Directly opposite there was a shallow
puddle rather than a pool of water, and as Joseph had just met with an
accident I was obliged to stop at it. I was really sorry to do so,
however, for I knew our horses would exhaust it all during the night, and
I was reluctant to rob these poor creatures of so valuable a store, I
therefore sent Flood to try if he could find any lower down; but, as he
failed, we unsaddled our horses and sat down.

The women who had kept us in sight were then at the huts, to which Mr.
Browne and I walked. In addition to the women and children, there was an
old man with hair as white as snow. As I have observed, there was a sand
hill at the back of the huts, and as we were trying to make ourselves
understood by the women a native made his appearance over it; he was
painted in all the colours of the rainbow, and armed to the teeth with
spear and shield. Great was the surprise and indignation of this warrior
on seeing th