till burning, which indicated the presence of natives. It was
generally very warm during the hours of travelling, between eight and
twelve o'clock, but the bracing air of the nights and mornings
strengthened us for the day's labour; the weather altogether was lovely,
and it was a pleasure to travel along such a fine stream of water.
Easterly and north-easterly breezes still prevailed, though I expected
that the direction of the winds would change as we passed the centre of
York Peninsula.

Our two black companions, who until now had been like
brothers--entertaining each other by the relation of their adventures, to
a late hour of the night; singing, chatting, laughing, and almost crying
together; making common cause against me; Brown even following Charley
into his banishment--quarrelled yesterday, about a mere trifle, so
violently that it will be some time before they become friends again.
When Mr. Calvert and Brown returned yesterday to the camp, they remarked
that they had not seen the waterfall, of which Charley had spoken whilst
at our last camp; upon which Charley insinuated that they had not seen
it, because they had galloped their horses past it. This accusation of
galloping their horses irritated Brown, who was very fond and proud of
his horse; and a serious quarrel of a rather ridiculous character ensued.
Keeping myself entirely neutral, I soon found that I derived the greatest
advantage from their animosity to each other, as each tried to outdo the
other in readiness to serve me. To-day, Charley, who was usually the last
to rise in the morning, roused even me, and brought the horses before our
breakfast was ready. Brown's fondness for spinning a yarn will soon,
however, induce him to put an end to this feud with his companion and
countryman. In the early part of our journey, one or other of our party
kept a regular night-watch, as well to guard us from any night attack of
the natives, as to look after our bullocks; but, latterly, this
prudential measure, or rather its regularity, has been much neglected.
Mr. Roper's watch was handed from one to another in alphabetical rotation
at given intervals, but no one thought of actually watching; it was, in
fact, considered to be a mere matter of form. I did not check this,
because there was nothing apparently to apprehend from the natives, who
always evinced terror in meeting us; and all our communications with them
have been accidental and never sought by them. On tha