HALT AND ENDEAVOUR TO LIGHTEN THE CARTS.

July 13.

As there was good food here and our animals were much exhausted by the last journey I considered it highly advisable to halt this day.  We examined the loads and, in order to lighten the carts as much as possible, we burned some heavy articles no longer required.

RAIN COMES ON.

The morning was damp and cloudy and at nine it began to rain heavily.  We had still to traverse about 400 miles of level country, subject to floods, and peopled by cunning savages with whom we were now likely to be involved in war.

NATIVE CONVERSATIONS AT A DISTANCE.  PARTY SEPARATED TO WATCH THE CATTLE.

About 11 o’clock a long, loud cooey from the hill of tombs announced that the natives had already overtaken us; but we were under arms immediately and prepared for defence.  Natives were soon after seen to pass along the riverbank, but as none of them approached us I sent four armed men towards the huts or village with orders to ascertain what number was there and, in case they met a single native, to bring him to me.  I was desirous to prevent any messenger whom the tribe might have sent back to the country through which we had to pass from arriving before we could dispel by our peaceful demeanour any fears that might be raised to provoke hostility on the part of the inhabitants there.  The men found two natives hiding behind trees, who ran off when observed and swam the river.  About two o’clock one of the guard with the cattle came in and reported that twelve or fourteen natives were watching on the other side of the Darling, and asked what he was to do.  I instructed him and the other men to motion to all such to go away, but not to fire at any unless it became necessary to do so in their own defence.  The afternoon cleared up a little but after dark the sky was overcast.  The night passed quietly without further alarm of natives.

The vicinity of the river was an advantage to us here which the ground, for several stages on, would not afford; for in case of need it enabled all our men to be at hand.

THREE FEMALES FOLLOW THE PARTY.

July 14.

The morning was fair but the sky continued to be cloudy when we commenced our journey.  After we had proceeded some miles the cooeys of the natives were heard around us, and we once more expected an attack.  We were then in a close scrub and the cattle were advancing slowly, for the ground had been softened by the rain.  We halted the carts in a small open space and prepared for defence.  The men forming our rear guard, having concealed themselves behind bushes, intercepted three gins and a boy who appeared to be following our movements.  When discovered they called out loudly “Wainba!  Wainba!” and we concluded from this that the male savages were not far off, and that they employed these women on outpost duty.  Our men beckoned to them to go back and, no other natives appearing, we resumed our march.  The gins however were not to be driven from their object so easily; and indeed from the barking of our dogs towards the scrub during the night, and by the tracks observed in the sand across our route next morning, it appeared that these poor creatures had passed the night, a cold one too, in the scrub near our camp without fire or water, and that they had preceded us in the morning.