nother. But
as far as possible we pursued our way south. You will understand that
this kind of travelling was very different from that which we experienced
on the Victoria River--which, by the way, traversed a very fine country.
As we ascended it we passed many isolated hills of perhaps a few hundred
feet, and nowhere did I see any scrub or spinifex.

After leaving the Victoria we came upon a more elevated plateau covered
with rather fine but short grass; the trees were scarcer here, but finer
and bigger. There was plenty of water in the native wells and in the
hollows, although we frequently had to remove a few stones to get at it.
There were plenty of kangaroos and emus about, as well as turkeys; these
latter provided us with an unwonted dish, to say nothing of their
delicious eggs.

Another reason for our coming round out of our course when we came to
forests was because but little food was found in them. Kangaroos and
other animals were seldom or never found there: they abounded usually in
the more scrubby country. Our progress was very leisurely, and, as we
met tribe after tribe, we ingratiated ourselves with them and camped at
their wells. Occasionally we came upon curious rivers and lagoons that
ran into the earth and disappeared in the most mysterious way, only to
reappear some distance farther on. Of course, I may be mistaken in this,
but such at any rate was my impression.

One day as we were marching steadily along, Yamba startled me by calling
out excitedly, "Up a tree,--quick! Up a tree!" And so saying she
scampered up the nearest tree herself. Now, by this time I had become so
accustomed to acting upon her advice unquestioningly, that without
waiting to hear any more I made a dash for the nearest likely tree and
climbed into it as fast as I could. Had she called out to me, "Leap into
the river," I should have done so without asking a question. When I was
safely in the branches, however, I called out to her (her tree was only a
few yards away), "What is the matter?" She did not reply, but pointed to
a vast stretch of undulating country over which we had just come; it was
fairly well wooded. It lingers in my mind as a region in which one was
able to see a fairly long way in every direction--a very unusual feature
in the land of "Never Never"!

I looked, but at first could see nothing. Presently, however, it seemed
to me that the whole country in the far distance was covered with a black
ma