DISASTROUS ENCOUNTER OF ONE MAN WITH A NATIVE.

They had unfortunately come upon some huts of the natives, where one of them remained and who, refusing to listen to Piper’s explanations, was about to hurl his spear at Pickering, when this man, at Piper’s desire, immediately fired his carabine and wounded the native in the arm.  I regretted this unlucky collision exceedingly and blamed Pickering for having been so precipitate; but his defence was that Piper told him unless he fired he would be instantly speared.

July 29.

We endeavoured to proceed today in a direction more to the eastward than the route of Mr. Stapylton, in the hope of finding firmer ground than he had seen, by following that which was highest and sandy.  But even in this way we could not accomplish five miles and a half, although the last of the carts did not arrive at the spot where we were at length compelled to re-encamp until long after it became dark.  The wheels sank up to the axles, and the cattle from wallowing in the mud had become so weak as to be scarcely able to go forward when unyoked, much less to draw the laden carts.  I had with difficulty found a spot of firm ground where we could encamp, but during that evening I had reconnoitred a more favourable-looking line which I meant to try in the morning.

A TRIBE MAKES ITS APPEARANCE.

Soon after we commenced this day’s journey, while I was watching in some anxiety the passage of a soft hollow by the carts, a man was sent back by the chaining party to inform me that a number of natives had come before them pointing their spears.  On going forward I found they had retired, having probably with their usual quickness of perception observed the messenger sent back and guessed his errand.

JUST REMONSTRANCE OF A TRIBE.

But their conduct as I then explained it to the men was quite reasonable on this occasion.  One (I was told) had spoke very loud and fast, pointing west towards where the man had been fired at the day before and then, touching his shoulder in allusion to the wound, he finally poised his spear at Blanchard as if in just resentment.

PLANT OF A NEW GENUS.

While awaiting the slow progress of the carts through the mud I found a most curious new genus allied to Correa, with the habit of C. speciosa, and with long tubular four-petaled green flowers.  It had been previously observed by Mr. Cunningham, who called it Sida correoides; it was however not a Sida, nor even a Malvaceous plant, but a new form of Australasian Rutaceae, differing from Correa in having the petals each rolled round a pair of stamens in its quadripartite conical calyx, and in there being constantly two seeds in each cell of the fruit.*