RETURN TOWARDS THE CAMP.

Returning towards the camp with these intentions we halted to pass the night by some ponds near the river, having observed the smoke of the natives’ fires in the immediate vicinity.  At this place many trees bore recent marks of their stone tomahawks, and the soft banks of the river were much imprinted with their feet; nevertheless, to our disappointment, none of the natives appeared; for a sight of our fellow-men, the inhabitants of these deserts idle, had at length become a subject of considerable curiosity.

OWLS AND RATS.

Owls were numerous in these desolate regions and I noticed many varieties.  I observed two in particular, of a very small description, not much larger than a thrush.  It was not unusual to find them half asleep sitting on branches from which they seldom stirred until nearly caught by the men.  Rats and mice occurred in many parts under the surface in small holes, which appeared filled with seeds of grass and plants; and the scarcity of the former in some places seemed partly owing to the provident instinct of these little animals.

February 5.

Proceeding on a bearing of 36 degrees East of North we made the line of marked trees at a distance of about twelve miles from the camp, where Mr. White remained with the party.  The weather being excessively hot, and our horses tired, I halted at the ponds which had formerly enabled the party to quench their two days’ thirst.

NATIVE DOGS.

Some fires of the natives were burning, and three of their dogs, which were very tame, hung about our camp and would not be driven away.

NATIVES AT THE CAMP DURING MY ABSENCE.

February 6.

We reached the camp by nine A.M. and I learnt that the natives had visited it during my absence.  Burnett, having shot a duck, was swimming for it to the middle of the river when a party of them suddenly appeared on the high bank opposite.  The white figure in the water, so novel to them, continued nevertheless to swim towards the duck until he seized it, apparently to their great amusement, and they were afterwards prevailed on to cross the river.  They sat down, insisting that our men should sit also; they talked very much, and laughed at many things.  They had taken their seats in a place exposed to the sun’s rays; and from this they did not stir until they had by signs expressed their wish to remove, which they then did, under the shade of a tree.  At length they ventured to walk about the tents, and they then insisted on presenting their clubs and woomeras to our men.  None of the names which we had written down from Barber’s statements seemed at all familiar to their ears; but Mr. White obtained a vocabulary which showed that their language was nearly the same as that of the aborigines at Wallamoul; the only difference being the addition of na to each noun, as namil for mil, the eye, etc.

THEIR ATTEMPTS TO STEAL.