154 CAPTAIN TUCKEY'S NARRATIVE. 



The margin of the river and the rocks in it are of mi- 

 caceous slate ; next to which small hills of loose round 

 pebbles of quartii ; then more elevated hills of ferruginous 

 clay with masses of quartz ; next hills of 3'ellow clay with 

 masses of sienite ; and lastly, steep hills with rocky sides, 

 (sienite), but with long levels at the summit, covered with a 

 fertile vegetable soil, and on which most of the banzas are 

 situated. The hills of quartz pebbles have every appearance 

 of once having been the bed of the river, the pebbles having 

 evidently been rounded, and the hills received their forms, 

 by the long and violent action of water. If we assume, what 

 seems highly probable, that the present obstruction at Yel- 

 lala was once a real cataract of equal elevation with the op- 

 posite shores, this surmise of the riv^er having formed these 

 hills of pebbles will acquire a certainty ; for in that case, the 

 water kept up by the cross ridge or cataract would have 

 covered these hills. A great quantity of quartz sand is 

 thrown up on the sides of the river among the rocks. 



At night the hills appear to be in a continued blaze of fire, 

 from the hunters in the day setting fire to the long dry grass 

 to drive out the animals. The fire running to windward, 

 as is always the case, the hunters keep to leeward of the spot 

 fired, and the game, it would appear, being also aware of 

 the direction which the fire will take, endeavour to avoid it, 

 by also running to leeward, and consequently throw them- 



