came upon the dogs standing quietly beside a dead
emu. If not the first killed by them, it was at least the first that fell
into our hands; and if this were the only one they had killed it was
singular enough that the capture should have happened exactly in the line
of our route. This acquisition we considered a favourable omen on our
approaching the hills, for we had begun to despair of obtaining any of
these swift though gigantic birds, inhabitants of the plains.

DUNLOP'S RANGE.

At length we reached rising ground, rather a novelty to us; and I
continued my course across a ridge which appeared to be connected on the
south with Dunlop's range. It consisted of a very hard conglomerate
composed of irregular concretions of milk-white quartz, in a ferruginous
basis, with apparently compact felspar weathering white. It seemed the
same kind of rock which I found nearest to the Karaula, in latitude 29
degrees.* On this hill we encamped for the night, the bend of the river
nearest to us bearing north-north-east, and being distant about two
miles. It was almost sunset before we took up our ground, and we had
still to seek the nearest way to the river, through woods. Such occasions
tried the nettle of my men; but he who, at the close of such days, was
the first to set out for the river, with his bucket in hand, and musket
on shoulder, was the man for me. Such men were Whiting, Muirhead, and The
Doctor; and although I insisted on several going together on such an
errand, I had some trouble to prevent these from setting out alone. The
river made a sharp turn northward, and at the bend the water was deeper
and broader than we had seen it elsewhere. The taste was perfectly sweet.

(*Footnote. See below.)

June 12.

We travelled for several miles over stony ground which gradually rose to
a hill on our right, and then declined rapidly to the river. Descending
at length to the level ground, we passed through much scrub which
terminated on a plain, bounded on the side opposite to us by the large
gumtrees or eucalypti, the never-failing indicators of the river. The
stream there ran in a rather contracted channel, and over a sandy bed.
Its course was to the southward, in which direction extensive plains
appeared to stretch along its bank.

MEET THE PUPPY TRIBE.

As I approached the river a tribe of natives who were seated very near me
at their fires, under a large tree, called out. We communicated in the
usual manner, but I could