de me impatient to go on; but we had to remain a
day or two for the light cart. It rained heavily during the whole
afternoon; nevertheless a body of these natives accompanied us back,
keeping pace with our horses.

GAIETY OF THE NATIVES.

Each carried a burning torch of the resinous bark of the callitris, with
the blaze of which these natives seemed to keep their dripping bodies
warm, laughing heartily and passing their jokes upon us, our horses and
particularly upon our two guides of their own race, Piper and Barney, who
seemed anything but at home on horseback with wet clothes dripping about
them.

COLOUR LIGHT.

These natives were of a bright copper colour, so different from black
that one had painted his thighs with black chequered lines which made his
skin very much resemble the dress of a harlequin.

MR. STAPYLTON SURVEYS THE LAKE.

Mr. Stapylton proceeded with a party to make a survey of Cudjallagong
lake and creek, an operation which could be accomplished with less
inconvenience as that gentleman's equipment could not come up to us until
the 16th.

CAMPBELL'S LAKE.

He extended his survey to the small lake to the north-east, the first
discovered by Mr. Oxley and named by him Campbell's lake. Mr. Stapylton
found only a grassy plain without a drop of water. By an opening from
Cudjallagong lake he proceeded to another likewise seen by Mr. Oxley. It
had also become a verdant plain, nevertheless I thought it was necessary
to distinguish it on my map by its native name of Goorongully, as Mr.
Oxley had not supplied any to it.

April 15.

The sky had continued overcast although no rain fell after the evening of
the 13th. This day however the wind changed from north-west to west and
the sky became clear.

PIPER OBTAINS A GIN.

The surveying party returned from the lake by midday; and with it came
also Piper, my aboriginal interpreter, who had gone there chiefly with
the view of obtaining a gin, a speculation which I thought rather
hazardous on his part; yet, strange to say, a good strong woman marched
behind him into our camp, loaded with a new opossum-skin cloak, and
various presents, that had been given to Piper with her. How he contrived
to settle this important matter with a tribe to whom he was an utter
stranger could not be ascertained; for he left our party on the lake by
night, going quite alone to the natives, and returned from their camp in
the morning followed by his gin. To obtain a gin at Cu