^4 DOWN THE niVER. 



a spear from Pyke transfixes him. We ask if that is daintier fare than 

 the Pelican, at which he laughs and says, *'Berry good, suppose hungry." 

 However, as the appetite of an Aboriginal is almost without limit. Fish- 

 erman Jack is stowed away with the rest of the game, in case of the 

 contingency before alluded to. 



Sometimes we startle a bevy of Quail, which fly away swiftly, with the 

 loud ^whir-r-r' peculiar to this family of birds. They are very numerous 

 at certain seasons of the year, for, although a considerable number remain 

 all the year round, and breed in the long grass of the flats, yet their 

 numbers are prodigiously increased in the autumn. This partial migration 

 of birds is a very interesting study, and is, I think, common to all the 

 Australian birds. Oh! for an Antipodean Gilbert White, to record simply 

 and truthfully the arrival and departure of our feathered friends; to tell 

 us "by what nice instinct led," a portion, and which portion, of the same 

 family remain the whole year round, and the rest take their departure 

 to unknown regions. 



There were large flocks of little Wax-bills feeding on the grass, and 

 the blacks threw sticks amongst them, and killed several for the children. 

 The tribe of Frmgillidcs in Australia is by no means numerous; in the 

 district I am writing about I never saw but two species — the one above 

 described, which is common enough, and which in autumn frequents the 

 farm-yards in flocks of several hundreds, where they are caught by the 

 children in great numbers; and a larger species, of which I have occa- 

 sionally met with a few pairs, and which are more common about Sydney 

 than any other part of the colony. Besides these, I have seen preserved 

 in the museum in Sydney several specimens of exquisite plumage, some 

 of which were procured by that adventurous traveller. Dr. Leichardt, 

 during his long and arduous journey to the north coast of Australia. 

 Alas! poor Leichardt! he and his brave companions have doubtless fallen 

 victims to their adventurous spirit, and have perished in the wild bush 

 of Australia. No tidings have been heard of them for several years, and 

 it is presumed they have fallen victims to the hostility of some of the 

 numerous tribes of Aboriginals. 



But to resume. At last we hear the distant roar of the ocean, and 

 approach the end of our journey. The river has become a broad estuary, 

 and is nearly a mile across. The sea-breeze has set in strong, and it 

 requires the utmost efibrts of the blacks to force the boat against it; but 

 after half an hour's vigorous pulling, we haul our boat on a sand spit, 

 and land. There is but a narrow strip of sand, scarce twenty yards 

 across, which separates us from the ocean. Beneath a mass of huge rocks, 

 piled up in most fantastic shapes, at the very mouth of the river, we pitch 

 our tent, and land our goods and chattels. 



