ves nearer the colony suppose to be our language,
while our stockmen believe they speak theirs, was of no use here. In vain
did Dawkins address them thus: "What for you jerran budgerry
whitefellow?" "Whitefellow brother belong it to blackfellow."* Neither
had the piece of tobacco, which he had put in the stranger's mouth, any
effect in bringing intelligible words out of it, although the poor fellow
complacently chewed the bitter weed. He readily ate some bread which was
given him, and on presenting him with a halfpenny he signified by gesture
that he should wear it at his breast, a fashion of the natives nearer the
colony. I placed in his hand a small tomahawk, the most valuable of gifts
to his tribe; and leaving him enriched thus, we quietly continued our
journey, that the tribe might see our purpose had no particular reference
to them, and that they had no cause for alarm, as our behaviour to the
young man must have sufficiently testified.

(*Footnote. Meaning: Why are you afraid of a good white man? The white
man is the black man's brother.)

We soon after entered another extensive plain on which the rich soil,
when we had got halfway across, changed to a stiff clay, the grass
marking the change by a difference of colour, being red on the clay and
quite green on the other soil. This clay occupied the highest part of the
plain. Passing through another scrub of Acacia pendula we reached a still
more extensive plain, and while we were crossing it I was informed, by
the carpenter, that the wheels of one of the carts were falling to pieces
and required immediate repair. We accordingly halted, and some wedges
were driven into them. The thermometer here stood at 97 degrees.

AGAIN OBLIGED TO CUT OUR WAY.

A brush of Acacia pendula also bounded this plain on the north; and
beyond it we entered a scrub of forest-oak (casuarina) which was so very
thick that we were compelled to halt the carts until a way could be cut
through it for upwards of two miles; beyond that distance however the
brush opened into patches of clearer ground. We had changed our course to
north in the large plain, and had preserved this direction in cutting
through these scrubs. It was now four P.M., and during the whole journey
from six A.M., we had seen no water; the day also was exceedingly warm,
and I was riding in advance of the party, and looking at some elevated
ground in an opening of the wood with thoughts of encamping there, but
very doubtful w