r's Creek, and then deemed it
prudent to travel quietly on towards the place at which we first struck
it, and had subsequently left our surplus stores.

In riding amongst some rocky ground, we shot a new and beautiful little
pigeon, with a long crest. The habits of this bird were very singular,
for it never perched on the trees, but on the highest and most exposed
rocks, in what must have been an intense heat; its flight was short like
that of a quail, and it ran in the same manner through the grass when
feeding in the evening. We reached our destination on the evening of the
8th, and were astonished to see how much the waters had shrunk from their
previous level. Such an instance of the rapid diminution of so large a
pool, made me doubt whether I should find any water in Strzelecki's Creek
to enable me to regain the Depot.

As we descended from the flats to cross over to our old berth, we found
it occupied by a party of natives, who were disposed to be rather
troublesome, especially one old fellow, whose conduct annoyed me
exceedingly. However, I very soon got rid of them; and after strolling
for a short time within sight of us, they all went up the creek; but I
could not help thinking, from the impertinent pertinacity of these
fellows, that they had discovered my magazine, and taken all the things,
more especially as they had been digging where our fire had been, so
that, if I had buried the stores there as intended, they would have been
taken.

As soon as the natives were out of sight, Mr. Stuart and I went to the
rhagodia bush for our things. As we approached, the branches appeared
just as we had left them; but on getting near, we saw a bag lying
outside, and I therefore concluded that the natives had carried off
everything. Still, when we came up to the bush, nothing but the bag
appeared to have been touched, all the other things were just as we left
them, and, on examining the bag, nothing was missing. Concluding,
therefore, that the natives had really discovered my store, but had been
too honest to rob us, I returned to the creek in better humour with them;
but, a sudden thought occurring to Mr. Stuart, that as there was an oil
lamp in the bag, a native dog might have smelt and dragged it out of its
place, we returned to the bush, to see if there were any impressions of
naked feet round about it, but with the exception of our own, there were
no tracks save those of a native dog. I was consequently obliged to gi