326 SCENERY. 



scured the heavens, had passed away : the sun, 

 about to set, cast a red glow over the beautiful 

 scenery of fields of golden grain ; numerous herds 

 of cattle and flocks of sheep scattered over different 

 parts of the extensive plains ; the elegant, droop- 

 ing, young manna trees, and the sombre foliage of 

 the Banksia, or honeysuckle ; the picturesque 

 wooded hills, with declivities covered with verdure 

 to the plains beneath, and the farthest view ter- 

 minated by distant mountains, formed a splen- 

 did prospect. 



My attention was recalled from the enjoyment 

 of this tranquil scene, by the noisy revelry of the 

 blacks, whose approaches towards civilization 

 were manifested by their getting intoxicated. 

 The camp was now one scene of tumult and con- 

 fusion : the huts, of a weak and temporary con- 

 struction, were thrown down; the men, inebriated 

 with " hull,'' were chasing the women and chil- 

 dren with sticks, who scampered away to escape 

 the punishment awarded to their mockery : nu- 

 merous curses, in English, proceeded from the 

 lips of the inebriated blacks, being terms more 

 expressive than any their limited language could 

 afford. As the men swore, the women screamed 

 and talked incessantly. 



One of them came to me the following morn- 

 ing, and said, "You ought give black feller 



