putting the string over her head, patted
her on the back and allowed her to depart. To my surprise, in about an
hour and a half after, seven natives were seen approaching the camp, with
the slowness of a funeral procession. They kept their eyes on the ground,
and appeared as if marching to execution. However, I made them sit under
a tree; a group of seven of the most miserable human beings I ever saw.
Poor emaciated creatures all of them, who no doubt thought the mandate
they had received to visit the camp was from a superior being, and had
obeyed it in fear and trembling. I made them sit down, gave them a good
breakfast and some presents, but could obtain no information from them;
when at length they slunk off and we never saw anything more of them. The
men were circumcised, but not disfigured by the loss of the front teeth,
perfectly naked, rather low in stature, and anything but good looking.

On the 12th, about midnight, we had a violent squall that at once
levelled every tent in the camp to the ground. It lasted for about half
an hour with terrific fury, but gradually subsided as the cloud from
behind which it burst passed over us. A few drops of rain then fell and
cooled the air, when I called all hands to replace the tents. I was up
writing at the time, and of a sudden found myself sitting without
anything above me save the blue vault of heaven. My papers, etc. were
carried away, and the men could scarcely hear one another, so furiously
did the wind howl in the trees.

On the 13th I left the camp in charge of Mr. Piesse my store-keeper, and
with Mr. Stuart and Flood crossed the ranges to the eastward, intending
to examine the country between us and the Darling. Immediately on the
other side of the range there was a plain of great width, and beyond, at
a distance of between 50 and 60 miles, was a range of hills running
parallel to those near the camp. They terminated however at a bold hill,
bearing E.N.E. from me, it was evidently of great height; beyond this
hill there was another still higher to the north-east, which I believe
was Mount Lyell. The first portions of the plain were open, and we could
trace several creeks winding along them, but the distant parts were
apparently covered with dense and black scrub. Descending to the eastward
towards the plains we rode down a little valley, in which we found a
small pool of water; at this we stopped for a short time, but as the
valley turned too much to the north I l