Mr. Hume and I, therefore, went to meet them.  They were at this time about 150 yards from the tent, but seeing us advance, they stopped, and forming two deep, they marched to and fro, to a war song I suppose, crouching with their spears.  We had not, however, any difficulty in communicating with them, and I shall detail the manner in which this was brought about, in hopes that it may help to guide others.  When the natives saw us advance, they stopped, and we did the same.  Mr. Hume then walked to a tree, and broke off a short branch.  It is singular that this should, even with these rude people, be a token of peace.  As soon as they saw the branch, the natives laid aside their spears, and two of them advanced about twenty paces in front of the rest, who sat down.  Mr. Hume then went forward and sat down, when the two natives again advanced and seated themselves close to him.

Now it is evident that a little insight into the customs of every people is necessary to insure a kindly communication; this, joined with patience and kindness, will seldom fail with the natives of the interior.  It is not to avoid alarming their natural timidity that a gradual approach is so necessary.  They preserve the same ceremony among themselves.  These men, who were eighteen in number, came with us to the tents, and received such presents as we had for them.  They conducted themselves very quietly, and, after a short time, left us with every token of friendship.

Large creek.

On the 21st we proceeded down the river on a N.N.W. course, and at about five miles struck upon a very large creek, apparently coming from the E.N.E.

Although the Castlereagh had increased in size, this creek was infinitely larger; it was, however, perfectly dry.  Lofty flooded-gum trees were upon its banks, and it appeared so much superior to the river that I was induced to halt the party at the junction, in order to examine it more closely.  Mr. Hume, therefore, rode with me up the right bank.  We had not proceeded very far, when some natives called out to us from the opposite scrub.  Thinking that they belonged to the tribe we had left behind us, we pointed to the junction, and motioned them to go there, but one of the party continued to follow and call to us for some time.  On our return to the men, we found that the natives had joined them, and they now gave us to understand that we were going away from water.  This had indeed been apparent to us.  The creek was perfectly dry, as far as we traced it up; and seemed to have been totally deserted by the natives.

We were about to proceed on our journey, when from twenty to thirty natives approached us from down the river.  We sent two of those who had been with us to them, and the whole accompanied us for some miles, talking incessantly to the men, but keeping at a very respectful distance from the animals.  We at length got opposite to their camp, near which there was a very fine pool of water, and they were earnest in persuading us to stop at it.  We were, however, too anxious to get forward to comply; under the improved appearance of the river since it had received the creeks from the eastward, little anticipating what was before us.