THE RED TRIBE AGAIN.  THEIR IMPORTUNITY.

Soon after I returned our old friends of the Red tribe came up in a body of about twelve, carrying boughs.  It was near sunset, and still they showed no disposition to go back to the river, but on the contrary they seemed about to make up their fires and remain with us for the night.  As their calls for tomahawks were incessant it was easy to foresee that it would soon be necessary to frighten them away with our guns if they were allowed to continue near us.  I therefore directed Burnett to point to the river, and request them to go thither to sleep, which they at length did.  We also took care not to allow them to come close to the carts, to prevent which several men met them at a little distance, where they took their stand.

NEW SPECIES OF CAPER EATEN BY THE NATIVES.

On the bank of the river at this place we found beside the native fires the remains of a fruit,* different from any I had seen before.  It seemed to be of a round shape, with a rind like an orange, and the inside, which appeared to have been eaten, resembled a pomegranate.  We here lost a bullock, which fell into a deep part of the river and was drowned, having been too weak to swim to the other side.

(Footnote.  Since ascertained to have been Capparis mitchellii, Lindley manuscripts.  See below.)

IMPORTUNITY OF THE RED TRIBE.

July 27.

Early this morning the Red tribe come up and again begged for tomahawks.  It was evident now how injudicious we had been in giving these savages presents; had we not done so we should not have been so much importuned by them.  To avoid their solicitations, which were assuming an insolent tone, evinced by loud laughing to each other at our expense, we loaded and moved off as quickly as possible, and they remained behind to examine the ground which we had quitted.  Upon the whole however the conduct of this tribe was much better than that of any we had seen lower down the river.  They brought no arms, and had never attempted any warlike demonstrations, or to come forward when told to keep back; neither did they follow us.  We got over our journey by two o’clock and encamped near the old ground of June 23.  Here the bed of the Darling consisted of ferruginous clay with grains of sand.

July 28.

We proceeded by the beaten route and pitched our tents within about a mile of our former camp.  The cattle being very weak I was desirous to avoid some soft ground near that position by taking a shorter cut next morning.  The part of the river adjacent to this spot was fordable, the bed consisting of a variety of sandstone composed of small siliceous grains cemented by decomposed felspar.

July 29.

The day being clear and the party within thirteen or fourteen miles of Mount Macpherson, a fine hill beyond the river (bearing 301 1/2 degrees from North) I determined to give the cattle a day’s rest, and to ascend that hill in order to take another look at the western interior beyond the Darling.  I thought I might thus be enabled to fix many of the points observed from Mount Murchison, or at all events to ascertain the nature of the country to the north-west.