desired Hopkinson to single out the man
who had given him the blanket. It was, however, with great difficulty
that he recognised him, as the man stood firm and motionless. At
length, after walking two or three times along the line, he stopped
before one man, and put his hand on his shoulder, upon which the manner
of the native testified as to the correctness of his guess.

The blanket being produced, I explained to the savage, with Mr. Hume's
assistance, that I was highly pleased with him, and forthwith presented
him with a tomahawk and a clasp-knife. The tribe were perfectly aware
of the reason of my conduct, and all of them seemed highly delighted.

I was happy in having such an opportunity of showing the natives of the
interior that I came among them with a determination to maintain
justice in my communication with them, and to impress them, at the same
time, with a sense of our love of it in them. That they appreciated my
apparent lenity in not calling for the defaulter, I am sure, and I feel
perfectly conscious that I should have failed in my duty had I acted
otherwise than I did.

EFFECT OF FIRING A GUN.

Although the natives had shown so good a disposition, as they were
numerous, I thought it as well, since I was about to leave the camp, to
show them that I had a power they little dreamt of about me. I
therefore called for my gun and fired a ball into a tree. The effect of
the report upon the natives, was truly ridiculous. Some stood and
stared at me, others fell down, and others ran away; and it was with
some difficulty we collected them again. At last, however, we did so,
and, leaving them to pick out the ball, mounted our horses and struck
away for the Darling. We crossed the river a little above where we
struck it, and then proceeded N.W. into the interior.

EXCURSION ACROSS THE DARLING.

It is impossible for me to describe the nature of the country over
which we passed, for the first eight miles. We rode through brushes of
polygonum, under rough-gum, without a blade of vegetation, the whole
space being subject to inundation. We then got on small plains of
firmer surface, and red soil, but these soon changed again for the
former; and at 4 p.m. we found ourselves advanced about two miles on a
plain that stretched away before us, and bounded the horizon. It was
dismally brown; a few trees only served to mark the distance. Up one of
the highest I sent Hopkinson, who reported that he could not see the
end