cient
height to attract them or to arrest their progress in the sky. There
seemed neither on the earth nor in the air sufficient humidity to feed a
cloud. Dew was very uncommon, the moisture from the one or two slight
showers, which did reach the ground, was measured out in this shape upon
the vegetation on the mornings immediately succeeding their fall. The hot
wind of the Bogan met with no antidote as in Sydney, where the heat of a
similar wind is usually moderated towards evening by a strong south-west
breeze. On the Bogan the wind was oppressively hot during the night, and
lulled only towards morning.

August 27.

Our cattle moved on in the morning, apparently much better for the rest
and the grass on which they had fed here. We reached in good time a small
open plain, distant about two miles from our camp of May 11, and halted
close by a pond in the bed of the Bogan.

TALAMBE OF THE BOGAN TRIBE.

At this point there were several fires, but the natives had run off on
our approach; at sunset however a young man came frankly up to our camp,
when we recognised Talambe, one of those who had accompanied the king of
the Bogan. We were all very glad to meet with an old acquaintance, even
of this kind and colour; and although he could only say budgery, this was
something, after the total want of any common terms with the savages we
had lately seen; and really the mild tone of voice and very different
manner of this native and others of his tribe, who came up next morning,
made us feel comparatively at home, although still not very far from
Oxley's Tableland.

TOMBS OF MILMERIDIEN.

August 28.

Several natives came up with Talambe in the morning, and they accompanied
us on our route. As we passed a burial-ground called by them Milmeridien
I rode to examine it and, on reaching the spot, these natives became
silent and held down their heads. Nor did their curiosity restrain them
from passing on, although I unfolded my sketch-book which they had not
seen before, and remained there half an hour for a purpose of which they
could have had no idea. The burying-ground was a fairy-like spot in the
midst of a scrub of drooping acacias. It was extensive and laid out in
walks which were narrow and smooth, as if intended only for sprites; and
they meandered in gracefully curved lines among the heaps of reddish
earth which contrasted finely with the acacias and dark casuarinae
around. Others gilt with moss shot far into the reces