FISH CAUGHT.

The river had more the appearance of having a flood in it now than at the time we first made it, and here we caught some good cod-perch (Gristes peelii) one weighing seventeen pounds.  As we came along the lagoons in the morning of this day we shot a new kind of duck.

May 29.

The broad slopes of the river-berg, or second bank, were generally distinguished by a strip of clear ground which we found the best for travelling upon; and it afforded us also the satisfaction of overlooking the friendly river at a greater or less distance on the left.  The Murray meandered between the opposite bergs of the valley or basin which was here about four miles wide.

ASPECT OF THE COUNTRY TO THE NORTHWARD.

From a hill situated between the river and the scrub I this day saw, for the first time since we left the Lachlan, a ridge on the horizon.  It appeared to the northward, the west end being distant about seven miles; and it was long, flat, and not much higher than the surrounding country.  An extensive plain reminded us of those on the Darling and in the more hollow part of it I perceived the dry bed of a lake, bordered by some verdure.  On proceeding I observed that the bergs fell off; and we descended into a valley where a line of yarra trees enveloped a dry creek, very much resembling the one seen by us on the Darling and named Clover-creek.  Crossing this dry course we soon regained the berg of the river, and found it as favourable to our progress as before but, being of red sand, I at length led the party along the firm clay at the base of the higher ground.

STRANGE NATIVES FROM BEYOND THE MURRAY.

As the dogs were chasing a kangaroo across a bit of open flat four natives appeared at the other side.  They came frankly up to us and they were well painted, broad white patches marking out the larger muscles of the breasts, thighs, and arms, and giving their persons exactly the appearance of savages as I have seen them represented in theatres.  Their hair was of a reddish hue and they were altogether men of a different make from the tribe of the Darling.  We accordingly allowed them to remain in the camp which I took up on the margin of the Murray soon after our meeting with them.  They told us that a creek named Bengallo joined the Murray amongst the numerous lagoons where we had been encamped two days before; and they supposed it came from the hills near the Bogan, because natives from that river sometimes came to the Murray by the banks of the creek.  They also informed us that the name of a river to the southward was Perrainga; and (if we understood each other rightly by Piper’s interpretation) their name for lake Alexandrina was Kayinga:  a lake which however had, according to them, a wide deep outlet to the sea.

THEY DECAMP DURING THE NIGHT.

During that night it rained heavily and the natives left us, without notice, during an interval of fair weather.  There was much scrub about the river and I was not quite satisfied with the position of our camp, but a strict watch was always kept up, and we had excellent watch-dogs, no bad protection against the midnight treachery of the aborigines.