o many swimming about, was sacred, and
that it is only when the creek overflows, that the fish are generally
distributed along its whole line, that the natives take them. Certainly,
to judge from the smooth and delicate appearance of the weeds round that
sheet of water the fish were not disturbed.

We had been riding for some time on the proper right {LEFT in published
text} bank of the creek, but I at length crossed to the right and altered
my course to E.S.E., but shortly afterwards ran due east across earthy
plains covered with grass in tufts and very soft, but observing that I had
got outside of the native tracks, and that there was no indication of the
creek in front, I turned to the S.E. and at five miles struck a small
sandy channel which I searched in vain for water; I therefore left it,
crossing many similar channels still on a S.E. course; but observing
that they all had level sandy beds, I gave up the hope of finding
water in them and turned to the south, as the horses were not in a
condition to suffer from want. At about two miles I ascended a sand
hill, but could not see any thing of the creek; it was now getting
late and two of the horses were hardly able to get along. Had we
halted then, there was not a tree or a bush to which we could have
tethered our animals, anxious too to get them to water I turned to
the west, and at a mile got on a native path, that ultimately led me
to the creek, and we pulled up at a small pond, where there was better
feed than we had any right to expect.

We had hardly arranged our bivouac, when we heard a most melancholy
howling over an earthen bank directly opposite to us, and saw seven black
heads slowly advancing towards us. I therefore sent Mr. Stuart to meet
the party and bring them up. The group consisted of a very old blind man,
led by a younger one, and five women. They all wept most bitterly, and
the women uttered low melancholy sounds, but we made them sit down and
managed to allay their fears. It is impossible to say how old the man
was, but his hair was white as snow, and he had one foot in the grave.

These poor creatures must have observed us coming, and being helpless,
had I suppose thought it better to come forward, for they had their huts
immediately on the other side of the bank over which they ventured. We
gave the old man a great coat, as the most useful present, and he seemed
delighted with it. I saw that it was hopeless to expect any information
from thi