striated on the lower, so as to resemble
the most delicate shell-work.* Piper discovered, on examining the ground
where we had repulsed the Darling tribes, that they had left many of
their spears, nets, etc. on our side of the river, and had afterwards
returned for them, also that a considerable number did not swim across,
but had retired along the riverbank. Upon the whole it was estimated that
the numbers then in our rear amounted to at least one hundred and eighty.

(*Footnote. L. cordifolius, Lindley manuscripts; ramulis pubescentibus,
foliis sessilibus subrotundis planis patentibus cordatis mucronatis
margine scabris supra laevigatis subtus striatis, floribus solitariis
sessilibus axillaribus.)

TRACES OF MANY NAKED FEET ALONG OUR OLD TRACK.

June 8.

As soon as daylight appeared this morning we commenced our long journey
through the scrub; and we discovered to our surprise, by the traces of
innumerable feet along our track, that the natives had not, as I till
then supposed, come along the riverbank, but had actually followed us
through that scrub. They have nevertheless a great dislike to such parts,
not only because they cannot find any game there, but because the prickly
spinifex-looking grass is intolerable against their naked legs. While we
were encamped in the scrub on May 25 they must have also passed that
stormy night there, without either fire or water. On our way through it
now we discovered a new hoary species of Trichinium, very different from
Brown's Tr. incanum.* The cattle, though they were jaded, accomplished
the journey before sunset, and we halted beside the large lagoon adjacent
to that part of the river which was within three miles of our former
camp, being the spot where the natives, in following us from lake
Benanee, first emerged from the woods. The weather being still
boisterous, we occupied a piece of low ground where we were sheltered
from the west or stormy quarter by the river berg.

(*Footnote. Tr. lanatum, Lindley manuscripts; incano-tomentosum, caule
corymboso, foliis obovatis cuneatisque, capitulis hemisphericis lanatis,
bracteis dorso villosis.)

CAMP OF 400 NATIVES.

On the brow of this height and just behind our camp I counted the remains
of one hundred and thirty-five fires at an old encampment of natives and,
as one fire is seldom lighted for less than three persons, there must
have been at least four hundred. The bushes placed around each fire
seemed to have been intend