(Footnote.  “The malediction of the Turks, as of other oriental nations, is frequently expressed in no other way than by spitting on the ground.”  Clarke’s Travels volume 3 page 225.  Mons. D’Arvieux tells us:  “the Arabs are sometimes disposed to think that when a person spits it is done out of contempt; and that they never do it before their superiors.  But Sir J. Chardin’s manuscript goes much further; he tells us in a note on Numbers 12:14 that spitting before anyone, or spitting upon the ground in speaking of anyone’s actions, is throughout the East an expression of extreme detestation.”  Harmer volume 4 page 429.)

HOSTILE MOVEMENTS.

June 29.

At length we were ready to quit this spot and gladly continued our journey in hopes of leaving our troublesome neighbours also.  After proceeding some way however Mr. Larmer’s horse pitched him over its head and galloped back to the place which we had so willingly quitted.  Just then the natives emerged from their woods in greater numbers than ever, being painted white, many carrying spears, and shouting.  This startled the horse and made him again gallop away, and we halted on the edge of a plain until Mr. Larmer recovered the animal; which was the more easily accomplished as the attention of the natives was fortunately fixed chiefly on us.  They repeated all their menaces and expressions of defiance, and as we again proceeded the whole of their woods appeared in flames.  I never saw such unfavourable specimens of the aborigines as these children of the smoke, they were so barbarously and implacably hostile and shamelessly dishonest, and so little influenced by reason, that the more they saw of our superior weapons and means of defence the more they showed their hatred and tokens of defiance.  The day’s journey was over a firmer surface than usual, and we encamped on a bend of the river in latitude 31 degrees 36 minutes 48 seconds South.

DRY CHANNEL OF A STREAM.

June 30.

The party moved off early.  The ground we travelled over, or rather through, was very soft and exceedingly heavy for the draught animals.  At about five miles we approached a line of trees, extending from the hollow, which for some days past had appeared between us and the hills on our left.  On examining it I found that it was the dry bed of what had been a considerable stream, preserving a uniform breadth of about 50 yards; and having lines of flood-marks upon the bank, similar to those of the Darling, and rising to the height of eight or nine feet.  Trees such as characterised the banks of the Darling but of smaller size grew on its banks, which had also their flats of polygonum and small gullies similar to those on that river, but on a lesser scale.  Upon the whole it was evident that this channel at some seasons was filled with a body of water, the sources of which were in the high ground between the Lachlan and the Bogan.  We had observed so many paths of the natives leading from the Darling towards