uture course of the river; but there was something
more that they were anxious to explain, which I could not comprehend.
The poor fellows seemed quite disappointed, and endeavoured to beat it
into Fraser's head with as little success. I then desired Macnamee to
get up into a tree. From the upper branches of it he said he could see
hills; but his account of their appearance was such that I doubted his
story: nevertheless it might have been correct. He certainly called our
attention to a large fire, as if the country to the N.W. was in flames,
so that it appeared we were approaching the haunts of the natives at
last.

It happened that Fraser and Harris were for guard, and they sat up
laughing and talking with the natives long after we retired to rest.
Fraser, to beguile the hours, proposed shaving his sable companions,
and performed that operation with admirable dexterity upon their chief,
to his great delight. I got up at an early hour, and found to my
surprise that the whole of them had deserted us. Harris told me they
had risen from the fire about an hour before, and had crossed the
river. I was a little angry, but supposed they were aware that we were
near some tribe, and had gone on a-head to prepare and collect them.

LARGE CONCOURSE OF NATIVES--THEIR HOSTILE DEMEANOUR.

After breakfast, we proceeded onwards as usual. The river had increased
so much in width that, the wind being fair, I hoisted sail for the
first time, to save the strength of my men as much as possible. Our
progress was consequently rapid. We passed through a country that, from
the nature of its soil and other circumstances, appeared to be
intersected by creeks and lagoons. Vast flights of wild fowl passed
over us, but always at a considerable elevation, while, on the other
hand, the paucity of ducks on the river excited our surprise. Latterly,
the trees upon the river, and in its neighbourhood, had been a tortuous
kind of box. The flooded-gum grew in groups on the spaces subject to
inundation, but not on the levels above the influence of any ordinary
rise of the stream. Still they were much smaller than they were
observed to be in the higher branches of the river. We had proceeded
about nine miles, when we were surprised by the appearance in view, at
the termination of a reach, of a long line of magnificent trees of
green and dense foliage. As we sailed down the reach, we observed a
vast concourse of natives under them, and, on a nearer approach,