nt for Nadbuck and Toonda, and told them that I should
not stir until the steel was brought back, or make any more presents on
the river. On this there was a grand consultation between the two. Toonda
at length went to the natives, who had retired to some little distance,
and, after some earnest remonstrances, he walked to the tree near which
the sheep had been killed, and, after looking at the ground for a moment,
began to root up the ground with his toes, when he soon discovered the
stolen article, and brought it to me. The thief was subsequently brought
forward, and we made him thoroughly ashamed of himself; although I have
no doubt the whole tribe would have applauded his dexterity if he had
succeeded.

The day was exceedingly cold, as the two or three previous ones had been,
but still the temperature was delightful. We travelled, on this day,
across the river flats, which again opened out to a distance of two or
three miles; the ground, however, was of a most distressing character,
and we had to cross several sandy points projecting into them, so that
the poor animals were much jaded. This, however, was only the beginning
of their troubles, for we were, in like manner, obliged to travel for
several successive days over the same kind of ground--land on which
floods have gradually subsided, and which has been blistered and cracked
by solar heat. Travelling on this kind of ground was, indeed, more
distressing to the cattle than even the hard pull over sand; for it was
impossible for the bullock-drivers to steer clear of the many fissures
and holes on these flats, and the shock, when the drays fell into any of
them, was so great, that it shook the poor brutes almost to pieces.

From this period to the 9th there was a sameness in our progress up the
Darling. On the 3rd we crossed a small creek, into which the waters of
the river were flowing fast; and which both Nadbuck and Toonda informed
us joined Yertello Lake, and that the Ana-branch was on the other side of
the lake. This explanation accounted to us for a statement made by
Toonda, shortly after he first joined us, that the Ana-branch hereabouts
formed a great lake. On the 4th a little rain fell, but not in such
quantity as to interfere with our travelling. On the 5th we passed a
tribe of natives, in number about thirty-four. We were again led by
Nadbuck across the country, to avoid the more circuitous route along the
river. We passed through a more pleasing country