y had the
thick lip, the sunken eye, the extended nostril, and long beards, and
both smooth and curly hair are common among them. Their lower
extremities appear to bear no proportion to their bust in point of
muscular strength; but the facility with which they ascend trees of the
largest growth, and the activity with which they move upon all
occasions, together with their singularly erect stature, argue that
such appearance is entirely deceptive.

INTERCOURSE WITH NATIVES.

The old men slept very soundly by the fire, and were the last to get up
in the morning. M'Leay's extreme good humour had made a most favourable
impression upon them, and I can picture him, even now, joining in their
wild song. Whether it was from his entering so readily into their
mirth, or from anything peculiar that struck them, the impression upon
the whole of us was, that they took him to have been originally a
black, in consequence of which they gave him the name of Rundi. Certain
it is, they pressed him to show his side, and asked if he had not
received a wound there--evidently as if the original Rundi had met with
a violent death from a spear-wound in that place. The whole tribe,
amounting in number to upwards of 150, assembled to see us take our
departure. Four of them accompanied us, among whom there was one
remarkable for personal strength and stature.--The 21st passed without
our falling in with any new tribe, and the night of the 22nd, saw us
still wandering in that lonely desert together. There was something
unusual in our going through such an extent of country without meeting
another tribe, but our companions appeared to be perfectly aware of the
absence of inhabitants, as they never left our side.

Although the banks of the river had been of general equality of height,
sandy elevations still occasionally formed a part of them, and their
summits were considerably higher than the alluvial flats.

RAPID IN THE RIVER--DANGEROUS DESCENT OF THE BOATS.

It was upon the crest of one of these steep and lofty banks, that on
the morning of the 22nd, the natives who were a-head of the boat,
suddenly stopped to watch our proceedings down a foaming rapid that ran
beneath. We were not aware of the danger to which we were approaching,
until we turned an angle of the river, and found ourselves too near to
retreat. In such a moment, without knowing what was before them, the
coolness of the men was strikingly exemplified. No one even spoke after
t