a useful addition to a dish at
dinner. In the watercourse we found pebbles similar to those at the last
camp.

February 21.

Proceeding at an early hour we now traversed, with satisfaction, the
scrub through which, during very hot weather, we had formerly been
obliged to cut our way. The ground beyond it was soft, and the labour
distressing to our jaded cattle. About three P.M. we encamped on a rising
ground where some water, which had fallen during the late rains, had
lodged in hollows, in sufficient abundance to satisfy our wants. In
respect to this essential article, indeed, the late rains had supplied
enough to leave me more at liberty in the choice of camps. From the site
selected here the view of the mountains to the eastward was rather fine,
especially as the ground sloped towards them. Behind us on the west was a
dense scrub; not the most pleasant of neighbours when savage natives were
about.

CIVILITY OF THE TRIBE FIRST MET.

February 22.

We traversed without much difficulty the plains where we had, on our
advance, halted to make certain repairs; and we next entered the scrub
where I had presented the tomahawk to the young native as a reward for
the confidence with which he had approached us, when the rest of his
tribe fell back. We had not advanced far beyond the scene of that
interview when I perceived a number of natives running before me along
our line of route. I hastened after them, when I perceived several men
advancing to meet me. They halted in a rather formal manner at some
distance, and I next came upon their spears which, with a stone hatchet,
had been laid across our track. There I alighted from my horse, and
proceeded slowly towards them on foot, inviting them as well as I could
to come forward, and which they accordingly did. Three men met me at
halfway. One of these seemed rather old, another was very stout and fat,
and the third had an intelligent countenance and thin person, but was so
thickly covered with the most raised sort of scarifications that I was
half inclined to think that the slightness of his frame might be partly
owing to the lacerations which covered it. Other members of the tribe
soon joined us, and as the carts by this time had arrived at the spears
on the ground I took one up and explained to the natives that the wheels
passing over would break them; still these strange people would not
remove them, and I concluded that this prostration of their weapons was
intended t