their feet; nevertheless, to our disappointment,
none of the natives appeared; for a sight of our fellow-men, the
inhabitants of these deserts idle, had at length become a subject of
considerable curiosity.

OWLS AND RATS.

Owls were numerous in these desolate regions and I noticed many
varieties. I observed two in particular, of a very small description, not
much larger than a thrush. It was not unusual to find them half asleep
sitting on branches from which they seldom stirred until nearly caught by
the men. Rats and mice occurred in many parts under the surface in small
holes, which appeared filled with seeds of grass and plants; and the
scarcity of the former in some places seemed partly owing to the
provident instinct of these little animals.

February 5.

Proceeding on a bearing of 36 degrees East of North we made the line of
marked trees at a distance of about twelve miles from the camp, where Mr.
White remained with the party. The weather being excessively hot, and our
horses tired, I halted at the ponds which had formerly enabled the party
to quench their two days' thirst.

NATIVE DOGS.

Some fires of the natives were burning, and three of their dogs, which
were very tame, hung about our camp and would not be driven away.

NATIVES AT THE CAMP DURING MY ABSENCE.

February 6.

We reached the camp by nine A.M. and I learnt that the natives had
visited it during my absence. Burnett, having shot a duck, was swimming
for it to the middle of the river when a party of them suddenly appeared
on the high bank opposite. The white figure in the water, so novel to
them, continued nevertheless to swim towards the duck until he seized it,
apparently to their great amusement, and they were afterwards prevailed
on to cross the river. They sat down, insisting that our men should sit
also; they talked very much, and laughed at many things. They had taken
their seats in a place exposed to the sun's rays; and from this they did
not stir until they had by signs expressed their wish to remove, which
they then did, under the shade of a tree. At length they ventured to walk
about the tents, and they then insisted on presenting their clubs and
woomeras to our men. None of the names which we had written down from
Barber's statements seemed at all familiar to their ears; but Mr. White
obtained a vocabulary which showed that their language was nearly the
same as that of the aborigines at Wallamoul; the only difference being
th