ienced in former journies. The gift of the
tomahawk had done all this mischief, and how it would end, was a thought
which caused me some anxiety. The tall savage had set his heart upon our
goods and chattels, and it was not in human nature for him to desist from
his aggressive purpose, if we could not, in some way, contrive to cheek
the pursuit. I knew instinctively, by the first sound of a loud whisper
of his at "Tagando" at night, near our tents, that there was no music in
this man's soul. We soon arrived at a ridge of ferruginous sandstone,
whereof the strike tended S. S. W. and the dip was to the eastward. A
gradual ascent brought us to the verge of a low ridge, which was steep
towards the N. W., and a rocky knoll (of red sand-stone) afforded me a
view of the gap I had seen from Bindango, and hills about it. I
perceived, with great disappointment, that the structure of the country
was not according to my anticipations. The river course seemed marked out
by plains far to the south-west, and all the valleys and watercourses
fell FROM the gap in that direction, and not TO the gap. Still the
country about that opening looked very inviting. Picturesque hills,
clothed with grass and open forest, especially on their summits, and
dells between them, yellow or red with rich ripe grass, indicated a spot
of the finest description; and through the gap lay my destined line of
route, to the north-west, river or no river. Just then, however, we
wanted water, but on following a little channel about a mile downwards,
we found in it a spacious pond, and encamped. I rode three miles further
down this channel, which there turned SOUTHWARD, so that I despaired of
my newly discovered river Amby being of any further utility now; but I
was almost convinced that it would have brought me into this very
country, had I come round by Fort Bourke. Latitude 26 deg. 17' 8" S.
Thermometer, at sunrise, 35 deg.; at 4 P. M., 80 deg.; at 7 P. M., 71 deg.; at 9,
48 deg.. Height above the sea, 1150 feet.

15TH MAY.--My servant Brown drew my attention, early this morning, to
natives occasionally peeping at us from a hill overlooking our camp. Some
time after, I perceived a figure resembling a large black quadruped, with
head erect like a lion, prowling about, amongst the long grass beside my
after breakfast tree. Taking my glass, I recognized the identical big
savage of yesterday.

Hamlet might here have exclaimed--

"What a piece of work is man! ... ..