sat down to eat the fish themselves.  Our camp was established about a quarter of a mile from the river, on the edge of a plain and near a scrub, for the sake of fuel.  At four P.M. the alarm was given that the natives were close to the camp, and we no sooner saw them than the whole of the scrub proved to be on fire, to the imminent danger of our equipment.  I sent five men with muskets to them (au pas de charge); and in five minutes they had retired across the river, two shots having been fired over their heads as they ascended the opposite bank.  It appeared that this party consisted of eight men, each carrying a spear and a waddy, besides the same boy who had been seen higher up, and who was observed on this occasion very busy lighting branches in the scrub; the vile old fellow sans nose was one, and also the sullen man, who was the first we had ever seen throw dust.  These latter stood on our side, covering the passage of the others, and crossing last, which manly conduct was the best trait I had seen in their character.  On reaching the top of the opposite bank they commenced their usual chant and demoniac dance, waving burning branches over their heads, brandishing their spears, and throwing their waddies high in the air, even above the lofty trees, all the time retreating in leaping and singing order.  It was evident that our dogs had frightened them; and at the report of the guns the tall fellow fell flat on the earth as he was ascending the opposite bank.  Later in the evening some natives were seen driving the bullocks about on the opposite side, but as they desisted when called to, and afterwards cooeyed to the others before they joined them, it was supposed that these had just arrived from a distance.

(Footnote.  Gristes peelii.)

RETURN OF MR. LARMER, WHO HAD FOUND WATER AND INHABITANTS.

Mr. Larmer returned at dusk having seen two more fine ponds of water in the direction of the river bed which we had lately left.  He reported however that the watercourse ran eastward, or contrary to that of the Darling, a direction also opposed to the fall of the hills, where it no doubt originated.  The party met a tribe of blacks in huts at the largest and most eastern of these ponds.  They were perfectly inoffensive, only looking from their huts and asking, as it seemed, which way the party was going.  Mr. Larmer reported that he saw from the range which he ascended a higher one about 40 miles to the southward, and smoke in the intermediate valley, the country being covered with a thick scrub.

July 23.

We proceeded at first 5 1/2 miles along our former route, then eight miles in a north-east direction, by which course we avoided the former camp of the Spitting tribe, and a portion of our route which led over a very soft, cracked plain:  we also shortened the distance so much as to gain one day upon three of our former stages.  In making this new cut we had the good fortune to meet with firm open ground, so that we encamped by three P.M. within sight of the river and our former route, and five miles beyond the camp of June 27 where the Spitting tribe had probably remained, expecting us.