pine-clad, hilly country, very well grassed and very pretty; the hills just named were on the north, and low hills on the south.  Ever since we entered the Livingstone Pass, we have traversed country which is remarkably free from the odious triodia.  Travelling along in the cool of the next morning through this “wild Parthenius, tossing in waves of pine,” we came at six miles along our course towards the Sugar-loaf, to a place where we surprised some natives hunting.  Their wonderfully acute perceptions of sight, sound, and scent almost instantly apprised them of our presence, and as is usual with these persons, the most frantic yells rent the air.  Signal fires were immediately lighted in all directions, in order to collect the scattered tribe, and before we had gone a mile we were pursued by a multitude of howling demons.  A great number came running after us, making the most unearthly noises, screeching, rattling their spears and other weapons, with the evident intention of not letting us depart out of their coasts.  They drew around so closely and so thick, that they prevented our horses from going on, and we were compelled to get out our revolvers for immediate use; we had no rifles with us.  A number from behind threw a lot of spears; we were obliged to let the pack-horse go—­one spear struck him and made him rush and jump about.  This drew their attention from us for a moment; then, just as another flight of spears was let fly at us, we plunged forward on our horses, and fired our revolvers.  I was horrified to find that mine would not go off, something was wrong with the cartridges, and, though I snapped it four times, not a single discharge took place.  Fortunately Mr. Tietkens’s went off all right, and what with that, and the pack-horse rushing wildly about, trying to get up to us, we drove the wretches off, for a time at least.  They seemed far more alarmed at the horses than at us, of whom they did not seem to have any fear whatever.  We induced them to retire for a bit, and we went on, after catching the packhorse and breaking about forty of their spears.  I believe a wild Australian native would almost as soon be killed as have his spears destroyed.  The country was now much rougher, the little grassy valleys having ceased, and we had to take to the hills.

(Illustration:  Attack at the farthest east.)

While travelling along here we saw, having previously heard its rustle, one of those very large iguanas which exist in this part of the country.  We had heard tales of their size and ferocity from the natives near the Peake (Telegraph Station); I believe they call them Parenties.  The specimen we saw to-day was nearly black, and from head to tail over five feet long.  I should very much have liked to catch him; he would make two or three good meals for both of us.  Occasionally we got a glimpse of the Sugar-loaf.  At nine miles from where we had encountered the enemy, we came to a bold, bare, rounded hill, and on ascending