Mount Murchison bore south 14 degrees west; the latitude of the camp at these rocks was 26 degrees 36’ 8”.  A lot of stony hills lay in front of us to the north.  Our Cheangwa natives, like the poor, were always with us, although I was anxious to get rid of them; they were too much of a good thing; like a Portuguese devil, when he’s good he’s too good.  Here I thought it advisable to try to induce them to return.  A good many of the girls really cried; however, by the promise of some presents of flour, tea, sugar, shirts, tobacco, red handkerchiefs, looking glasses, etc., we managed to dry their tears.  It seemed that our little friends had now nearly reached the boundary of their territories, and some of the men wanted to go back, perhaps for fear of meeting some members of hostile tribes beyond; and though the men do occasionally go beyond their own districts, they never let the women go if they can help it; but the women being under our protection, didn’t care where they went.  Many of them told me they would have gone, perhaps not in such poetic phrase as is found in Lallah Rookh, east, west—­alas!  I care not whither, so thou art safe and I with thee.  It was, however, now agreed that they should return.  The weight of the loads some of these slim-figured girls and young wives carried, mostly on their heads, was astonishing, especially when a good-sized child was perched astride on their shoulders as well.  The men, of course, carried nothing but a few spears and sticks; they would generally stay behind to hunt or dig out game, and when obtained, leave it for the lubras or women to bring on, some of the women following their footsteps for that purpose.

The prettiest of these girls, or at least the one I thought the prettiest, was named Laura; she was a married young lady with one child.  They were to depart on the morrow.  At about eleven or twelve o’clock that night, Laura came to where my bed was fixed, and asked me to take her to see Tommy, this being her last opportunity.  “You little viper,” I was going to say, but I jumped up and led her quietly across the camp to where Tommy was fast asleep.  I woke him up and said, “Here, Tommy, here’s Laura come to say ‘good-bye’ to you, and she wants to give you a kiss.”  To this the uncultivated young cub replied, rubbing his eyes, “I don’t want to kiss him, let him kiss himself!” What was gender, to a fiend like this? and how was poor Laura to be consoled?

Our cowra and a friend of his, evidently did not intend to leave us just yet; indeed, Mr. C. gave me to understand, that whithersoever I went, he would go; where I lodged, he would lodge; that my people should be his people; I suppose my God would be good enough for him; and that he would walk with me to Melbourne.  Melbourne was the only word they seemed to have, to indicate a locality remote.  Our course from these rocks was nearly north, and we got into three very pretty circular spaces or amphitheatres; round these several