to promise a river or chain of ponds in an ordinary season; and
a rather high and isolated range of yellow rock, in the direction of
Oxley's Mount Granard, seemed to overlook some extensive piece of water
or spacious plain to the south of it. An intervening valley appeared also
to form a basin falling southwards, but immediately beyond the group I
was upon a vast extent of country, not low, but without any prominent
features, although chequered with plain and bush, stretched far to the
eastward. There were no large trees visible on any side, but a thick
scrub of bushes covered much of the country. Upon the whole I considered
that in a wet season we might have travelled straight home, as there were
many dry waterholes in the surface where it consisted of clay, but that,
unless rain fell, it would be wiser, considering the exhausted state of
our cattle, to keep to the beaten track, for the animals travelled much
better upon it, and going back or homewards along that track, was more
convenient in various respects than to travel where there was no road at
all. As it now became necessary to distinguish the different ranges on my
map I attached to this remarkable cluster of hills the name of Mr.
Greenough, a gentleman who has done so much in uniting geology with
geography, to the great advantage of both.

BARTER WITH NATIVES BEYOND THE DARLING.

On returning to the camp I found that two natives had been in
communication with our party on the river during my absence; and that
overseer Burnett had made a good brargain, having obtained from one of
them a very well made net in exchange for a clasp knife, with which the
native seemed much pleased. These visitors were young men, carrying each
a net, and seemed to belong to the other side of the river.

THE RED TRIBE AGAIN. THEIR IMPORTUNITY.

Soon after I returned our old friends of the Red tribe came up in a body
of about twelve, carrying boughs. It was near sunset, and still they
showed no disposition to go back to the river, but on the contrary they
seemed about to make up their fires and remain with us for the night. As
their calls for tomahawks were incessant it was easy to foresee that it
would soon be necessary to frighten them away with our guns if they were
allowed to continue near us. I therefore directed Burnett to point to the
river, and request them to go thither to sleep, which they at length did.
We also took care not to allow them to come close to the carts, to
p