was so encumbered by the fallen trunks of these forest trees that it was sometimes difficult to pick a passage between them.  Even at midday the forest wore a sombre aspect, and a stillness and solitude reigned throughout it that was very striking.  Occasionally a timid kangaroo might be seen stealing off in the distance, or a kangaroo-rat might dart out from a tuft beneath your feet; but these were rare circumstances.  The most usual disturber of these wooded solitudes were the black cockatoos; but I have never in any part of the world seen so great a want of animal life as in these mountains.

Upon our gaining the Harvey however the scene somewhat changed; the river here bore the appearance of a mountain trout-stream, sometimes gurgling along with a rapid current, and sometimes forming large pools.  The tableland could no longer be distinguished as it here changed to a broken chain of hills traversed by deep valleys; the scrub was higher and entwined by a variety of climbing plants, which rendered it very difficult to traverse; the mahogany trees became less frequent, and various others were mingled with them, whilst on the banks of the river good forage abounded.  We made about five miles more through a country of this description and then halted for the night.

LOSE THE TRACKS.  NATIVE GRAVE.

January 21.

We did not make more than seven miles before breakfast this morning, being embarrassed both by high and tangled underwood and rocky hills.  We then halted on the banks of the Harvey, where there was some beautiful grass.  We had still been able to find nothing of Mr. Elliott’s tracks, and had in vain looked for natives:  but this evening, soon after starting again, for the first time signs of them appeared, for we found a newly-made grave, carefully constructed, with a hut built over it to protect the now senseless slumberer beneath from the rains of winter.  All that friendship could do to render his future state happy had been done.  His throwing stick was stuck in the ground at his head; his broken spears rested against the entrance of the hut, the grave was thickly strewed with wilgey or red earth; and three trees in front of the hut, chopped with a variety of notches and uncouth figures and then daubed over with wilgey, bore testimony that his death had been bloodily avenged.

KAIBER’S FEARS.

The native Kaiber gazed with a degree of concern and uneasiness on this scene.  “A man has been slain here,” he said.  “And what, Kaiber,” I asked him, “is the reason that these spears are broken, that the trees are notched, and that wilgey is strewed on the grave?” His answer was, “Neither you nor I know:  our people have always done so, and we do so now.”  I then said to him, “Kaiber, I intend to stop here for the night, and sleep.”  “You are deceiving me,” he said:  “I cannot rest here, for there are many spirits in this place.”  I laughed at his fears, and we again moved on.