aspberry-jam trees grew
straggling around it; but no dry timber was to be found, and we had to
make a fire with a broken down half dried raspberry-jam tree. Our meat
bags were now empty, and it was necessary to kill another bullock,
although the spot was by no means favourable for the purpose. Natives
were around us, and we saw them climbing the neighbouring trees to
observe our proceedings. When Charley joined us, he stated that a fine
broad salt-water river was scarcely a quarter of a mile from the lagoon;
that he had seen a tribe of natives fishing, who had been polite enough
to make a sign that the water was not drinkable, when he stooped down to
taste it, but that freshwater was to be found in the direction of the
lagoon, at which we were encamped. No time was to be lost, and, as the
afternoon had advanced, we commenced operations immediately. Though the
bullock was young, and in excellent working condition, the incessant
travelling round the gulf had taken nearly all the fat out of him, and
there was scarcely enough left to fry his liver. At sunset, we saw the
natives approaching our camp, with loud vociferations, swinging their
spears, and poising and putting them into their wommalas. We immediately
saddled and mounted two of our horses, and discharged a pistol. The
latter stopped their noise at once; and some cowered down to the ground.
John and Charley rode slowly towards them; at first they tried to face,
and then to surround the horsemen; but John and Charley separated, and
threatened to cut them off from the river. As soon as they saw their
supposed danger, they ran to the river, plunged in, and crossed it. We
were very watchful during the night, but were not disturbed. Next
morning, natives passed at some distance, but showed no inclination to
molest us.

August 5.--We cut our meat into slices, and, although we were reduced in
number, we had become so expert, that we had finished a full sized
bullock by half past eleven, A. M. The process occupied four of us about
four hours and a half; John and Brown were employed in putting it out on
the kangaroo net to dry. The strong sea breeze dried it beautifully; but
it attracted much moisture again in the night, and was very moist when we
packed it into the bags at starting.

The sea breeze set in on the 4th at 11 o'clock, became very strong during
the afternoon, lessened at sunset, and died away about 9 o'clock, P. M.
when it became thick and foggy. This was the c