THE INTERIOR OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA. 87 



salt and scrub, five or six miles wide, which occupied the lowest part 

 of a valley trending to E. by S. being passed, and a passage forced 

 through the close thickets which covered the opposite ascent, our poor 

 horses could do no more, and were gladly conducted at the end of 

 fifteen miles and a half to their promised rest and feed. Here however 

 not a blade of grass rewarded our minutest search, and only a few pints 

 of water were lodged in holes in the rock. Some flags and coarse rushes 

 occupied the place of better feed ; and among them the horses were 

 tethered to do their best, water being fortunately found by digging 

 near the N.E. foot of the granite rock. 



Quitting this inhospitable retreat as early as possible next morning 

 (19th November), we again steered east through thicket and scrub, 

 growing in light soil -, and at the end of six and a half miles came 

 suddenly upon a small low fire which had just been abandoned by some 

 natives. The embers were under my feet before they were discovered, 

 and the country was so thick I did not immediately perceive near them 

 several long bark baskets, tied up at the extremities, and filled with 

 honey-flowers, which the natives had been employed in collecting. Their 

 retreat was so hasty they had even left behind two carved and well- 

 greased "wommeras," used in discharging their spears; nor could 

 they be induced, by the loud calls and invitations of our native, to re- 

 turn and give us an interview. We therefore placed some biscuit in 

 their baskets, left everything as we found it, and proceeded on our 

 way ; Bob being divided in opinion that they would either have taken 

 us for devils and would never venture near the spot again, or that they 

 were concealed at the time within a very few yards of it. We had on 

 several occasions reason to suppose that the natives were aware of our 

 vicinity as we passed through the country, and were even watching our 

 movements ; but we saw none of them at this time, nor could we 

 succeed on other occasions in eff*ecting any interview, although we 

 purposely passed over tracts of country in which their fires were burn- 

 ing. On such occasions we saw feet-marks on the sand of men, women, 

 and children thouo-h not of numerous tribes, and observed their signal 

 smokes rise suddenly up within a mile and a half of us soon after we 



tad passed. 



Although the country still continued to be densely thicteted, it lost 

 its general flat character, and gave us hopes of a change ; for fresh 

 water had lodged in no less than three places met with this day, showing 



