One of the natives who visited us at this place was very old, with hair as white as snow.  To this man I gave a blanket, feeling assured it would be well bestowed; although a circumstance occurred that had well night prevented my behaving with my usual liberality to the natives who were here with us.  The butcher had been killing a sheep, and carelessly left the steel, an implement we could ill spare, under the tree in which he had slung the animal:  and it was instantly taken by the natives.  On hearing this, I sent for Nadbuck and Toonda, and told them that I should not stir until the steel was brought back, or make any more presents on the river.  On this there was a grand consultation between the two.  Toonda at length went to the natives, who had retired to some little distance, and, after some earnest remonstrances, he walked to the tree near which the sheep had been killed, and, after looking at the ground for a moment, began to root up the ground with his toes, when he soon discovered the stolen article, and brought it to me.  The thief was subsequently brought forward, and we made him thoroughly ashamed of himself; although I have no doubt the whole tribe would have applauded his dexterity if he had succeeded.

The day was exceedingly cold, as the two or three previous ones had been, but still the temperature was delightful.  We travelled, on this day, across the river flats, which again opened out to a distance of two or three miles; the ground, however, was of a most distressing character, and we had to cross several sandy points projecting into them, so that the poor animals were much jaded.  This, however, was only the beginning of their troubles, for we were, in like manner, obliged to travel for several successive days over the same kind of ground—­land on which floods have gradually subsided, and which has been blistered and cracked by solar heat.  Travelling on this kind of ground was, indeed, more distressing to the cattle than even the hard pull over sand; for it was impossible for the bullock-drivers to steer clear of the many fissures and holes on these flats, and the shock, when the drays fell into any of them, was so great, that it shook the poor brutes almost to pieces.

From this period to the 9th there was a sameness in our progress up the Darling.  On the 3rd we crossed a small creek, into which the waters of the river were flowing fast; and which both Nadbuck and Toonda informed us joined Yertello Lake, and that the Ana-branch was on the other side of the lake.  This explanation accounted to us for a statement made by Toonda, shortly after he first joined us, that the Ana-branch hereabouts formed a great lake.  On the 4th a little rain fell, but not in such quantity as to interfere with our travelling.  On the 5th we passed a tribe of natives, in number about thirty-four.  We were again led by Nadbuck across the country, to avoid the more circuitous route along the river.  We passed through a more pleasing country than usual, and one that was better timbered and better grassed than it had been at any distance from the river.