own district, (90 miles away.) In the morning I again
went to the native camp, and found them all ready,
and an hour afterwards there was not one in Adelaide.
Another strong instance of the power that may be acquired
over the natives occurred at Moorunde, in 1844:—Several
tribes were assembled in the neighbourhood, and were,
as I was told, going to fight. I walked down towards
their huts to see if this was the case, but upon arriving
at the native camps I found them deserted, and all
the natives about a quarter of a mile away, on the
opposite side of a broad deep sheet of water caused
by the floods. As I reached the edge of the water
I saw the opposing parties closing, and heard the
cry of battle as the affray commenced; raising my voice
to the utmost, I called out to them, and was heard,
even above the din of combat. In a moment all
was as still as the grave, a canoe was brought for
me to cross, and I found the assembled tribes fully
painted and armed, and anxiously waiting to know what
I was going to do. It was by this time nearly
dark, and although I had no fears of their renewing
the fight again for the night, I knew they would do
so early in the morning; I accordingly directed them
to separate, and remove their encampments. One
party I sent up the river, a second down it, a third
remained where they were, and two others I made recross
the water, and go up to encamp near my own residence.
All this was accomplished solely by the influence
I had acquired over them, for I was alone and unarmed
among 300 natives, whose angry passions were inflamed,
and who were bent upon shedding each others’
blood.
By the assistance of the natives, I was enabled in
December 1843, to ascend the Darling river as far
as Laidley’s Ponds (above 300 miles from Moorunde)
when accompanied only by two other Europeans, and should
have probably been enabled to reach Mount Lyell (100
miles further) but that a severe attack of illness
compelled me to return. My journey up the Darling
had, however, this good effect, that it opened a friendly
communication with natives who had never before come
in contact with the white man, except in enmity or
in contest, and paved the way for a passage upon friendly
terms of any expedition that might be sent by that
route to explore the continent. Little did I anticipate
at the time, how soon such an expedition was to be
undertaken, and how strongly and how successfully
the good results I so confidently hoped for were to
be fully tested.
In August 1844, Captain Sturt passed up the Murray
to explore the country north-west of the Darling,
and whilst at Moorunde, on his route, was supplied
with a Moorunde boy to accompany his party to track
stock, and also with a native of the Rufus named And-buck,
to go as guide and interpreter to the Darling.
The latter native had accompanied me to Laidley’s
Ponds in December 1843, and had come down to Moorunde,
according to a promise he then made me, to visit me
in the winter, and go again with me up the Darling,