woomerah, an aboriginal native can throw his spear with sufficient force and dexterity to kill the emu or kangaroo, even when at their speed.  One or two families of natives afterwards appeared hutted on the riverbank nearly opposite to our camp, and Piper opened a conversation with them across the river.  These people had heard nothing of what had befallen the Benanee tribe.  They had some years before seen white men go down and return up the river in a large canoe; and Piper also learnt from them that the Millewa (Murray) had now a flood in it, having for some time previous been much lower than it was then; but they assured Piper, apparently with exultation, that it flowed always.

TRIBUTARIES OF THE MURRAY.

The name of the creek we had just crossed was Golgol, and it came from the low range of the same name which I had observed on May 29.  From what these natives said of Bengallo creek I thought it might be that branch of the Lachlan, already mentioned as Boororan, flowing westward under Warranary and other hills between the Murrumbidgee and the Darling.

A STORM IN THE NIGHT.

June 5.

Rain had fallen during the night but the day was favourable though cloudy.  I ventured on a straight line through the sand and bushes of Eucalyptus dumosa in order to cut off some miles of our beaten track, which was nearer the river and rather circuitous.  We crossed some sandhills, the loose surface of which was bound down only by the prickly grass already described.  From these hills the view was extensive and bounded on all sides by a perfectly level horizon.  On one of them a solitary tree drew my attention and, on examining it, I discovered with much satisfaction that it was of that singular kind I had only once or twice seen last year in the country behind the Darling.  The leaves, bark, and wood tasted strongly of horse-radish.  We now obtained specimens of its flower and seed, both of which seemed very singular.* By the more direct route through the scrub this day, with what we gained yesterday, we were enabled to reach, at the usual hour for encamping, the red cliffs near the spot where we formerly met the second division of the Darling tribe.  I took up a position on the western extremity of the broken bank, overlooking an angle of the river, and commanding a grassy flat where our cattle would be also secure.  The weather became very boisterous after sunset, and our tents were so much exposed to the fury of the wind that at one time I thought they would be blown into the river.  The waters continuing to rise, the Murray now poured along nearly on a level with its banks, and how we should cross or avoid: 

The mosses, waters, slaps, and stiles

that lay between us and the depot, if the river rose much longer, was a question for which I was prepared.  On the other hand the very cold and boisterous weather was in our favour as being opposed to any assembling of the tribes at points of difficulty along the line of our track, as they certainly ought to have done as good tacticians, for they never lost sight of our movements while we were in that country.