A BURNT SCRUB FULL OR SPINOUS DEAD BOUGHS.

It was nearly sunset when I mounted my horse at the foot of Helvelyn, intending to return to the Darling for, there being no other water in the whole country at that time, my intention was to travel back to this river by moonlight.  I had found however during my ride to this hill, that the intervening country was covered by a half-burnt scrub, presenting sharp points between which we could scarcely hope to pass in safety by moonlight with our horses, since even in daylight we could not proceed except at a very slow pace.  The half-burnt branches were armed with points so sharp as to penetrate, in one instance, the upper part of my horse’s hoof, and in another, a horse’s fetlock, from which a portion was drawn measuring more than an inch.

A NIGHT WITHOUT WATER.

I therefore determined to pass the night at a short distance from the foot of this hill, on a spot where I found some good grass.

RETURN TO THE CAMP.

June 6.

We proceeded to the Darling where we could, at length, have breakfast and water the horses.  Returning from the river along our track to the camp I arrived there at seven in the evening with two of the men, the others having fallen behind on account of their horses.  The latter however came in not long after, although it had been found necessary to leave one poor horse tied in the bush near the camp until sent for early next morning.  On our way back we discovered that a native having a very large foot had followed our track for fifteen miles from where we had first alarmed the gin; it was therefore probable that he had not been far from where we slept in the hollow on the first evening.

THE PARTY LEAVES FORT BOURKE.

June 8.

We broke up our encampment on the position which I had selected for a depot (and which had served as such during our short absence down the river) and after proceeding two miles on the bearing of 151 degrees, in order to clear the river, we followed my previous track to the south-west.

THE PARTY PROCEEDS DOWN THE DARLING.

The ground crossed by the party this day consisted chiefly of plains with little scrub; and when we had travelled 12 1/2 miles, it appearing open towards a bend in the river, we made for the tall trees (our never-failing guides to water) on a bearing of 248 degrees.  We reached the Darling at 14 1/4 miles and encamped near it.

SURPRISE A PARTY OF NATIVES.

As we approached this spot, and while I was reconnoitring the bank for the purpose of marking out the camp, I came suddenly upon a party of natives, one of whom giving a short cooey first made me aware of the circumstance.  Burnett went towards them with a branch; but they hastily gathered up their things and fled.  The party appeared to consist of two men and five women, and it doubtless belonged to the same tribe as the gins we had previously seen; and the men were probably those who had traced us so far.  The river water was brackish; and in the bank was a bed of calcareous concretions which some of the men supposed to be bones.