they were little likely to have any suspicions. The notes written
by the traveller, and concealed in trees, seldom escaped notice;[69] nor
did provisions, nor, in short, any article which they could either use
or suspect pass unobserved.

[68] See a most remarkable instance of this in M. Martin's New South
Wales, pp. 156-158.

[69] Latterly, however, experience suggested to him what seems
to have been a successful mode of concealment. See Mitchell's Three
Expeditions, vol. ii. p. 271.

In Western Australia, Captain Grey, having galloped after some wild
cattle which he had met in his journey, found, upon wishing to ascertain
the hour, that his watch had fallen from his pocket during the chase. He
waited until the rest of his party came up, and then requested Kaiber,
their native guide, to walk back and find the watch. This, Kaiber
assured the traveller, was utterly impossible, nor could his assertion
be gainsaid; nevertheless, the watch was too valuable to be given up
without an effort for its recovery. "Well, Kaiber," said the captain,
"your people had told me you could see tracks well, but I find they
are mistaken; you have but one eye,--something is the matter with the
other," (this was really the case)--"no young woman will have you, for
if you cannot follow my tracks, and find a watch, how can you kill game
for her?" This speech had the desired effect, and the promise of a
shilling heightened his diligence, so they went back together in
search of the lost article. The ground that had been passed over was
badly suited for the purpose of tracking, and the scrub was thick;
nevertheless, to his delight and surprise, the captain had his watch
restored to his pocket in less than half an hour.

Even in the simple arts and rude habits of the people of New Holland
there are different degrees of advancement and progress to be observed.
On the west coast, a few degrees to the north of the British settlement
at Swan River, a great difference was noticed by Captain Grey in the
arrangements of the native population. The country near the Hutt River
is exceedingly beautiful and fertile, and it supports a very numerous
population, comparatively with other districts. The exploring party
found a native path or road, wider, more used, and altogether better
than any before seen in that region. Along the side of this path were
seen frequent wells, some of them ten or twelve feet in depth, which
were made in a superior manne