seeing by a desire to
attain a certain point with the party which I was consequently obliged to
lead. We travelled for this purpose until after sunset, and then encamped
at a distance of about a mile and a half to the southward of a bend of
the Darling.

CATARACT IN THE DARLING.

Here the river formed a cataract of about two feet, falling over some
argillaceous ironstone: and as the waters glittered in the moonlight I
listened with awe to the unwonted murmur of this mysterious stream which
poured through the heart of a desert, by its single channel, that element
so essential to the existence of all animals. One of the men (Robert
Whiting) had examined the river a mile and a half above the fall, and
found the water there so very salt that he could not drink it, and he
therefore proceeded downwards to this fall, where it proved to be good.

SURPRISED BY A PARTY OF NATIVES.

June 11.

In the morning, while examining the river below the fall, some natives
hailed me from the opposite side, and soon afterwards, having slyly swum
the river, they stole suddenly upon us while I sat drawing the cataract.
One of our men heard them creeping along the bank above us, whereupon the
whole party stood up and laughed. Among them I recognised the old man
whom I had seen a few days previously on my excursion lower down the
river. There was another old man who was more intelligent and less
covetous than the rest. I gave him a clasp-knife with which he appeared
much pleased, making the most expressive gestures of friendship and
kindness by clasping me around the neck, and patting my back. The number
of this tribe amounted to about twenty. I remarked among them an old
woman having under her especial care a very fine-looking young one. They
had swum across the river with as little inconvenience as if they had
only stepped over it. The teeth and shape of the mouth of the young
female were really beautiful, and indeed her person and modest air
presented a good specimen of Australian womanhood. On leaving us they
loudly pronounced a particular word which I as often repeated in reply;
and they pointed to the earth and the water, giving us to understand in
every way they could that we were welcome to the water, which they
probably considered their own.

EMU KILLED BY THE DOGS.

As we crossed a plain the dogs set off after three emus, the pursued and
the pursuers disappearing in the woods. Some time after, while passing
through a scrub, we