As the morning broke, Hopkinson came to inform me that it was in vain that the guard endeavoured to prevent them from handling every thing, and from closing in round our camp.  I went out, and from what I saw I thought it advisable to double the sentries.  M’Leay, who was really tired, being unable to close his eyes amid such a din, got up in ill-humour, and went to see into the cause, and to check it if he could.  This, however, was impossible.  One man was particularly forward and insolent, at whom M’Leay, rather imprudently, threw a piece of dirt.  The savage returned the compliment with as much good will as it had been given, and appeared quite prepared to act on the offensive.  At this critical moment my servant came to the tent in which I was washing myself, and stated his fears that we should soon come to blows, as the natives showed every disposition to resist us.  On learning what had passed between M’Leay and the savage, I pretended to be equally angry with both, and with some difficulty forced the greater part of the blacks away from the tents.  I then directed the men to gather together all the minor articles in the first instance, and then to strike the tents; and, in order to check the natives, I drew a line round the camp, over which I intimated to them they should not pass.  Observing, I suppose, that we were on our guard, and that I, whom they well knew to be the chief, was really angry, they crept away one by one, until the island was almost deserted by them.  Why they did not attack us, I know not, for they had certainly every disposition to do so, and had their shorter weapons with them, which, in so confined a space as that on which we were, would have been more fatal than their spears.

They left us, however; and a flight of red-crested cockatoos happening to settle on a plain near the river, I crossed in the boat in order to shoot one.  The plain was upon the proper left bank of the Murray.  The natives had passed over to the right.  As the one channel was too shallow for the boat, when we again pursued our journey we were obliged to pull round to the left side of the island.  A little above it the river makes a bend to the left, and the angle at this bend was occupied by a large shoal, one point of which rested on the upper part of the island, and the other touched the proper right bank of the river.  Thus a narrow channel, (not broader indeed than was necessary for the play of our oars,) alone remained for us to pass up against a strong current.  On turning round the lower part of the island, we observed that the natives occupied the whole extent of the shoal, and speckled it over like skirmishers.  Many of them had their spears, and their attention was evidently directed to us.—­As we neared the shoal, the most forward of them pressed close to the edge of the deep water, so much so that our oars struck their legs.  Still this did not induce them to retire.  I kept my eye on an elderly man who stood one of the most forward, and who motioned