I am now of opinion that to discourage at once the approach of such
natives would tend more to the safety of an exploring party than
presenting them with gifts. These rovers of the wilds seem to consider
such presents as the offerings of fear and weakness; and I attribute much
of their outrageous conduct to such mistaken notions and their
incorrigible covetousness, against which the best security, unfortunately
for them and us, appeared to be to keep them at a distance.

The further we descended the river the more implacably savage we found
the blacks. I have already remarked that the more ferocious had not lost
their front teeth, and that those we had seen on the Upper Darling had
all lost one tooth. Indeed it was precisely where we first witnessed the
inauspicious ceremony of the green branch burnt and waved at us in
defiance that we first found natives who retained both front teeth. A
considerable portion of the river, quite uninhabited, lay between these
fire-throwers and the less offensive natives, and there was a difference
in the pronunciation, at least, if not in the words, of the tribes.

The old men on the Darling are by far the most expert at stealing; and
notwithstanding my marks of respect to them in particular, they were not
the less the instigators and abettors of everything wrong. A mischievous
old man is usually accompanied by a stout middle-aged man and a boy; thus
the cunning of the old one, the strength of him of middle age, and the
agility of the youth are combined with advantage; both in their
intercourse with their neighbours and in seeking the means of existence.
The old man leads, as fitted by his experience to do so; and he has also
at his command, by this combination, the strength and agility of the
other two.

THEIR MEANS OF EXISTENCE.

The natives of the Darling live chiefly on the fish of the river, and are
expert swimmers and divers. They can swim and turn with great velocity
under water, and they can both see and spear the largest fish, sometimes
remaining beneath the surface a considerable time for this purpose. In
very cold weather however they float on pieces of bark; and thus also
they can spear the fish, having a small fire beside them in such a bark
canoe.

NETS USED BY THEM.

They also feed on birds, and especially on ducks, which they ensnare with
nets, in the possession of every tribe. These nets are very well worked,
much resembling our own in structure, and they are made