I had been suffering very much front tooth-ache for the last three or four days, and this day felt the most violent pain from the wind.  I was not, therefore, sorry to get under even the poor shelter our tents afforded.  M’Leay, observing that I was in considerable pain, undertook to wind up the chronometer; but, not understanding or knowing the instrument, he unfortunately broke the spring.  I shall not forget the anxiety he expressed, and the regret he felt on the occasion; nor do I think M’Leay recovered the shock this unlucky accident gave him for two or three days, or until the novelty of other scenes drove it from his recollection.

We landed close to the haunt of a small tribe of natives, who came to us with the most perfect confidence, and assisted the men in their occupations.  They were cleaner and more healthy than any tribe we had seen; and were extremely cheerful, although reserved in some respects.  As a mark of more than usual cleanliness, the women had mats of oval shape, upon which they sat, made, apparently, of rushes.  There was a young girl among them of a most cheerful disposition.  She was about eighteen, was well made, and really pretty.  This girl was married to an elderly man who had broken his leg, which having united in a bent shape, the limb was almost useless.  I really believe the girl thought we could cure her husband, from her importunate manner to us.  I regretted that I could do nothing for the man, but to show that I was not inattentive to her entreaties, I gave him a pair of trousers, and desired Fraser to put them upon him; but the poor fellow cut so awkward an appearance in them, that his wife became quite distressed, and Fraser was obliged speedily to disencumber him from them again.

We could not gain any satisfactory information, as to the termination of the river, from these people.  It was evident that some change was at hand; but what it was we could not ascertain.

Appearance of some approaching change.

On the morning of the 9th, we left our fair friend and her lame husband, and proceeded down the river.  The wind had moderated, although it still blew fresh.  We ascended every height as we went along, but could not see any new feature in the country.  Our view to the eastward was very confined; to the westward the interior was low and dark, and was backed in the distance by lofty ranges, parallel to which we had been running for some days.  The right bank of the valley was beautifully undulated, but the left was bleak and bare.  The valley had a breadth of from three to four miles, and the flats were more extensive under the former than under the latter.  They were scarcely two feet above the level of the water, and were densely covered with reeds.  As there was no mark upon the reeds to indicate the height to which the floods rose, I cannot think that these flats are ever wholly laid under water; if they are, it cannot be to any depth:  at all events a few