s cutting out honey. As soon as they saw us,
four of them ran away; but the fifth, who wore a cap of emu feathers,
stood for a moment looking at us, and then very deliberately dropped
out of the tree to the ground. I then advanced towards him, but before
I got round a bush that intervened, he had darted away. I was fearful
that he was gone to collect his tribe, and, under this impression, rode
quickly back for my gun to support Mr. Hume. On my arrival I found the
native was before me. He stood about twenty paces from Mr. Hume, who
was endeavouring to explain what he was; but seeing me approach he
immediately poised his spear at him, as being the nearest. Mr. Hume
then unslung his carbine, and presented it; but, as it was evident my
re-appearance had startled the savage, I pulled up; and he immediately
lowered his weapon. His coolness and courage surprised me, and
increased my desire to communicate with him. He had evidently taken
both man and horse for one animal, and as long as Mr. Hume kept his
seat, the native remained upon his guard; but when he saw him dismount,
after the first astonishment had subsided, he stuck his spear into the
ground, and walked fearlessly up to him. We easily made him comprehend
that we were in search of water; when he pointed to the west, as
indicating that we should supply our wants there. He gave his
information in a frank and manly way, without the least embarrassment,
and when the party passed, he stepped back to avoid the animals,
without the smallest confusion. I am sure he was a very brave man; and
I left him with the most favourable impressions, and not without hope
that he would follow us.

From a more open forest, we entered a dense scrub, the soil in which
was of a bright-red colour and extremely sandy, and the timber of
various kinds. A leafless species of stenochylus aphylta, which, from
the resemblance, I at first thought one of the polygonum tribe, was
very abundant in the open spaces, and the young cypresses were
occasionally so close as to turn us from the direction in which we had
been moving. In the scrub we crossed Mr. Hume's tract, and, from the
appearance of the ground, I was led to believe mine could not be very
distant.

FATE OF THE MACQUARIE.

We struck upon a creek late in the afternoon, at which we stopped; New
Year's Range bearing nearly due west at about four miles' distance. Had
we struck upon my track, the question about which we were so anxious
would still