We made it a point never to distribute any presents among the natives until we had made them all sit, or stand, in a row.  Sometimes this was a troublesome task, but we generally succeeded in gaining our point; with a little exertion of patience.  M’Leay was a famous hand at ordering the ranks, and would, I am sure, have made a capital drill-sergeant, not less on account of his temper than of his perseverance.  I called the little tributary I have noticed, the Rufus, in honour of my friend M’Leay’s red head, and I have no doubt, he will understand the feeling that induced me to give it such a name.

Geological examination.

Not many miles below the Rufus, we passed under a lofty cliff upon the same side with it.  It is the first elevation of any consequence that occurs below the Darling, and not only on that account, but also on account of the numerous substances of which it is composed, and the singular formation that is near requires to be particularly noticed. [See Appendix.] The examination was a task of considerable danger, and both Fraser and myself had well nigh been buried under a mass of the cliff that became suddenly detached, and, breaking into thousands of pieces, went hissing and cracking into the river.

Thunder storms.

The weather about this time was extremely oppressive and close.  Thunder clouds darkened the sky, but no rain fell.  The thermometer was seldom below 104 at noon, and its range was very trifling.  The wind shifted several times during the twenty-four hours; but these changes had no effect on the thermometer.  It was evident, however, as the sun set on the evening of the 26th, that the clouds from which thunder had for the last four or five days disturbed the silence of nature around us, would not long support their own weight.  A little before midnight, it commenced raining, and both wind and rain continued to increase in violence until about seven in the morning of the 27th; when the weather moderated.

Two or three blacks had accompanied us from the last tribe, and had lain down near the fire.  As the storm increased, however, they got up, and swimming across the river, left us to ourselves.  This was a very unusual thing, nor can I satisfy myself as to their object, unless it was to get into shelter, for these people though they wander naked over the country, and are daily in the water, feel the cold and rain very acutely.

Observing the clouds collecting for so many days, I indulged hopes that we were near high lands, perhaps mountains; but from the loftiest spots we could see nothing but a level and dark horizon.  Anxious to gain as correct a knowledge of the country as possible we had, in the course of the day, ascended a sandy ridge that was about a mile from the river.  The view from the summit of this ridge promised to be more extensive than any we had of late been enabled to obtain; and as far as actual observation went, we