uter than the others. The other five chiefs were
equally fine men. And a question, to myself, here arises, and the answer
as speedily follows, viz., now is the time for entering into and
effecting a purchase of their land. A full explanation, that my object
in visiting their shores was to purchase their land, they appeared to
understand; and the following negotiation or agreement was immediately
entered into. I purchased two large blocks or tracts of land, about
600,000 acres, more or less, and, in consideration therefor, I gave them
blankets, knives, looking-glasses, tomahawks, beads, scissors, flour,
etc. I also further agreed to pay them a tribute or rent yearly. The
parchment, or deed was signed this afternoon by the eight chiefs, each
of them, at the same time, handing me a portion of the soil; thus giving
me full possession of the tracts of land I had purchased.

This most extraordinary sale and purchase took place by the side of a
lovely stream of water, from whence my land commenced. A tree was here
marked in four different ways, to define the corner boundaries. Good
land, to any extent, either for stock or tillage, with good water was
here in abundance, ready for sheep, cattle, or the plough. Our
negotiation was terminated by my Sydney natives giving our
newly-acquired friends a grand corroborree at night, much to their
delight. The group consisted, altogether, of forty-five men, women, and
children.

Sunday, _June 7th._ I awoke this morning with the agreeable
consciousness of my being able, like Alexander Selkirk, of school-boy
memory, to say: "I am monarch of all I survey; my right there is none to
dispute." With a view, however, of securing this right more permanently,
I busied myself with drawing up triplicates of the deeds of the land I
had purchased, and in delivering over to the natives more property. This
was done on the banks of the lovely little creek which I have named
Batman's Creek, as a memento of the novel and interesting transaction
occurring on its banks. After the purchase and payment at the conclusion
of the preliminaries, I had made preparation for departing, when two of
the principal chiefs approached, and laid their royal mantles at my
feet, begging my acceptance of them. Upon my acquiescing, the gifts were
placed around my neck and over my shoulders by the noble donors, who
seemed much pleased at their share in the transaction, and begged of me
to walk a pace or two in their (now my) pri