hem in
practice on the following day. They then fell into a desultory
conversation; through which we will not trouble the reader by following;
but merely remark that it was principally upon the occupants of the
station on the river, the character of the blacks in the neighbourhood,
and the likelihood of annoyance from the dingos. That these latter were
numerous it was pretty evident; for the travellers more than once had
intimation, of a close proximity to their camp, of a tribe of those
canine aborignals, who prefer the enjoyment of a pristine independence
to the blessings of civilisation, except in so far as that civilisation
can be made subservient to their comfort and sustenance.

The dingo, or as it is generally called, the native dog, occupies in the
social scale, much the same position in the southern hemisphere, as the
fox does in the northern; and also approaches more nearly to that animal
in semblance and character than any other known. Its colour is generally
of a dark sandy or reddish brown, with hair rather long, a bushy
low-hanging tail, long ears, which except while being pursued he usually
keeps erect, pointed snout, and sharp piercing eyes. He is stupid and
cowardly; generally creeping along with a slinking gait to surprise his
prey, which he usually siezes by the throat. He is easily frightened,
and deterred from his purpose by the simplest contrivances; and is
quite devoid of that cunning which characterizes his antipodean
prototype. His course of destruction has been known to be arrested by an
ordinary four-wire fence, through which he could have easily passed;
though he sat on the exterior of the enclosure, moaning piteously at the
flock within; while his mental obtuseness failed to percieve a means of
ingress. To sheep he is most destructive; and if a flock is so
carelessly tended as to admit of his insinuating himself, the havoc he
makes is frightful: for not content with fastening on one, he will snap,
tear, worry, and mangle possibly half the flock; and passing from one to
another, with the rapidity of thought, the mortality that results from
his visit is truly disastrous. He never barks like a domesticated dog,
but yelps and howls; and at night when he sounds his note, it is taken
up by the entire pack, and made to resound with a mournful cadence over
the face of the country. As they sit on their haunches, with their
noses extended in an elevation to the sky, chorusing their lachrymose
and supp