ough, from the inquiries we made, it was evident he was well known
among them. It would disgust my readers were I to describe the
miserable state of disease and infirmity to which these tribes were
reduced. Leprosy of the most loathsome description, the most violent
cutaneous eruptions, and glandular affections, absolutely raged through
the whole of them; yet we could not escape from the persecuting
examination of our persons that curiosity prompted them in some measure
to insist upon.

REJOINED BY OUR OLD NATIVE GUIDE.

The old man, whose information had proved strictly correct, joined us
again on the 4th, and his joy at being received into the boat was
unbounded, as well as the pleasure he expressed at again meeting
Hopkinson. He had been on a long journey, it would appear, for he had
not then reached his tribe. As we approached their haunt, he landed and
preceded us to collect them. We were, of course, more than usually
liberal to so old a friend, and we were really sorry to part with him.

Soon after leaving his tribe, which occupied the left bank of the
river, and was very weak in point of numbers, we fell in with a very
strong tribe upon the right bank. They numbered 211 in all. We lay off
the bank, in order to escape their importunities; a measure that by no
means satisfied them. The women appeared to be very prolific; but, as a
race, these people are not to be compared with the natives of the
mountains, or of the upper branches of the Murray.

We passed some beautiful scenery in the course of the day. The river
preserved a direct southerly course, and could not in any place have
been less than 400 yards in breadth. The cliffs still continued, and
varied perpetually in form; at one time presenting a perpendicular wall
to the view, at others, they overhung the stream, in huge fragments.
All were composed of a mass of shells of various kinds; a fact which
will call for further observation and remark.

DELAYED BY STRONG WINDS.

Many circumstances at this time tended to confirm our hopes that the
sea could not be very far from us, or that we should not be long in
gaining it. Some sea-gulls flew over our heads, at which Fraser was
about to shoot, had I not prevented him, for I hailed them as the
messengers of glad tidings, and thought they ill deserved such a fate.
It blew very hard from the S.W., during the whole of the day, and we
found it extremely laborious pulling against the heavy and short sea
that came