en roasting and eating the fish on the opposite bank. Overseer
Burnett offered them his clasp-knife in exchange for a cod* weighing
about 19 pounds but they would only give a small fish weighing not above
one pound; and then coolly went over and sat down to eat the fish
themselves. Our camp was established about a quarter of a mile from the
river, on the edge of a plain and near a scrub, for the sake of fuel. At
four P.M. the alarm was given that the natives were close to the camp,
and we no sooner saw them than the whole of the scrub proved to be on
fire, to the imminent danger of our equipment. I sent five men with
muskets to them (au pas de charge); and in five minutes they had retired
across the river, two shots having been fired over their heads as they
ascended the opposite bank. It appeared that this party consisted of
eight men, each carrying a spear and a waddy, besides the same boy who
had been seen higher up, and who was observed on this occasion very busy
lighting branches in the scrub; the vile old fellow sans nose was one,
and also the sullen man, who was the first we had ever seen throw dust.
These latter stood on our side, covering the passage of the others, and
crossing last, which manly conduct was the best trait I had seen in their
character. On reaching the top of the opposite bank they commenced their
usual chant and demoniac dance, waving burning branches over their heads,
brandishing their spears, and throwing their waddies high in the air,
even above the lofty trees, all the time retreating in leaping and
singing order. It was evident that our dogs had frightened them; and at
the report of the guns the tall fellow fell flat on the earth as he was
ascending the opposite bank. Later in the evening some natives were seen
driving the bullocks about on the opposite side, but as they desisted
when called to, and afterwards cooeyed to the others before they joined
them, it was supposed that these had just arrived from a distance.

(*Footnote. Gristes peelii.)

RETURN OF MR. LARMER, WHO HAD FOUND WATER AND INHABITANTS.

Mr. Larmer returned at dusk having seen two more fine ponds of water in
the direction of the river bed which we had lately left. He reported
however that the watercourse ran eastward, or contrary to that of the
Darling, a direction also opposed to the fall of the hills, where it no
doubt originated. The party met a tribe of blacks in huts at the largest
and most eastern of these ponds. T