A halt was this day unavoidable, but the necessity was the less to be regretted as the weather was very unfavourable.  Indeed we had scarcely seen one fine day for some weeks.  Mr. Stapylton set out to trace the rivulet downwards, and returned in the evening after having reached its junction with the Glenelg at the distance of nine miles in a north-west direction.  The course of the river thus determined to that junction appeared to be more to the westward than I had previously expected, and I began again to think its estuary might still be to the westward of Cape Northumberland, and this prospect induced me to alter our course.  The carts having come up about one P.M., the blacksmith was set to work and wrought throughout the night to repair all the claw-chains.

NATIVES VERY SHY.

While other men were employed at the log-bridge some natives were heard coming along the most southern of the two streams; whereupon Piper went towards them as usual and found they were females with children; but from the moment they discovered us until they were fairly out of hearing their shrieks were so loud and incessant that it seemed, for once, our presence in that country had been unknown to the surrounding natives, a proof perhaps of the smallness of their numbers.  In the evening other natives (men) were heard approaching along the creek, and we at first supposed they had come to that place as their rendezvous to meet the gins and their families whom we had unwillingly scared; but Mr. Stapylton, during his ride home along one side of the ravine, had observed four natives very intent on following the outward track of his horses’ hoofs on the other; and these were doubtless the same men guided by his tracks to our camp.  They could not be brought to a parley however, although Piper and Burnett at first invited them towards the camp and, when they set off, pursued them across the opposite ridge.

CHETWYND RIVULET.

On the bank of this little stream I found a charming species of Tetratheca, with large rich purple flowers and slender stems growing in close tufts about a foot high.  It was perhaps the most beautiful plant we met with during the expedition.*

(Footnote.  T. ciliata, Lindley manuscripts; caulibus erectis tomentosis filiformibus, foliis oppositis verticillatisque obovatis ovatisque ciliatis subtus glabris, pedicellis setosis, sepalis ovatis concavis acutis, petalis obovatis.)

August 6.

The passage of the rivulet which I named the Chetwynd, after Stapylton who had explored it at considerable risk, was effected with ease by the temporary bridge and we proceeded, soon crossing by similar means two other running streams, probably tributaries to this.

SLOW PROGRESS OVER THE SOFT SURFACE.