The only other conspicuous object in view was a high peak to the north-north-east.  The timber of the River Murchison could be traced for some miles as coming from the eastwards, and sweeping under the northern foot of Mount Hale.  The creek the camp is situated on came from the north-east.  The creek we first saw the natives on, comes from the north, and the two join before reaching the Murchison.  Mount Gould is almost entirely composed of huge blocks of almost pure iron, which rendered the compass useless.  The creek the camp is on appears to come from some low hills to the north east-wards, and on leaving this place I shall follow it up.  Some recent rains must have fallen in this neighbourhood, for the whole country is beautifully green.  The flies at the camp to-day were, if possible, even more numerous than before.  They infest the whole air; they seem to be circumambient; we can’t help eating, drinking, and breathing flies; they go down our throats in spite of our teeth, and we wear them all over our bodies; they creep up one’s clothes and die, and others go after them to see what they died of.  The instant I inhale a fly it acts as an emetic.  And if Nature abhors a vacuum, she, or at least my nature, abhors these wretches more, for the moment I swallow one a vacuum is instantly produced.  Their bodies are full of poisonous matter, and they have a most disgusting flavour, though they taste sweet.  They also cause great pains and discomfort to our eyes, which are always full of them.  Probably, if the flies were not here, we might think we were overrun with ants; but the flies preponderate; the ants merely come as undertakers and scavengers; they eat up or take away all we smash, and being attracted by the smell of the dead victims, they crawl over everything after their prey.  The natives appear far less friendly to-day, and no young houris have visited us.  Many of the men have climbed into trees in the immediate neighbourhood of the camp, not being allowed in, and are continually peering down at us and our doings, and reporting all our movements to their associates.  At our meal-times they seem especially watchful, and anxious to discover what it is we eat, and where it comes from.  Some come occasionally creeping nearer to our shady home for a more extensive view.  Wistfully gazing they come—­

   “And they linger a minute,
    Like those lost souls who wait,
    Viewing, through heaven’s gate,
    Angels within it.”

By the morning of the following day I was very glad to find that the natives had all departed.  Saleh and Tommy were away after the camels, and had been absent so many hours that I was afraid these people might have unhobbled the camels and driven them off, or else attacked the two who were after them.  We waited, therefore, for their return in great anxiety, hour after hour.  As they only took one gun besides their revolvers, I was afraid they might not be able to sustain an attack, if the natives set upon them.  After the middle of the day they turned up, camels and all, which put an end to our fears.