impatience at our not understanding them, which I thought very likely.
They repeated so incessantly the words einer, einer, that I ran up the
bank for my book, remembering to have seen the word, and I then found
that einer meant a gin, or female, as will appear on referring to the
vocabulary I obtained at Wallamoul.* The translation of this word
produced a hearty laugh among our men, and Finch drily observed that some
would then be very serviceable. I was in doubt whether they meant to
inquire, by frequently pointing up to our tents, if we had any, or
whether they wished to accommodate us with wives. At length they rather
suddenly drew together on the bank, again making signs of the corrobory
dance, beckoning to some of the men to go with them, and expressing their
intention to depart, but to return again to sleep there, by saying
nangary, and pointing to the ground. This I understood clearly, and very
soon they all disappeared. Fortunately none ascended the bank to our
tents, as it was not desirable they should know our numbers exactly. It
did not appear that they understood the nature and effect of firearms.
Meanwhile our wheels had been found so frail that we must have halted
here under any circumstances in order to strengthen them for the tough
work they were to encounter. The carpenters therefore worked hard at them
this forenoon. In thus returning, I gathered for my friend, Mr. Brown, a
hortus siccus of such plants as appeared new to me; the field of research
being obviously, at this time, confined to our line of route.

(*Footnote. See Appendix 2.1 volume 2.)

PASSAGE OF THE RIVER.

As soon as the natives were gone I set all hands except the carpenters to
extricate the cart, still in the bed of the river; and it was at length
brought up the bank. We next yoked the bullocks to the empty drays and
cart on the opposite side, and all were soon brought safely through the
river. I preferred doing this work when the natives were absent because I
did not wish them to see the difficulties which the passage of a river
occasioned to us.

When the sun was near setting the voices of our unwelcome visitors were
again heard, and they soon appeared gaily painted white for the
corrobory; but foreseeing this return I had forbidden the men from
looking towards them, and in order to discourage their approaches still
more, I directed The Doctor to pace backward and forward on the bank
before our tents, with a firelock on his shoul