EMU PLAINS. 81 



native dogs, that differed only from those I had seen 

 on other parts of the coast, in being rather larger. 



Two miles further brought us into a fine open 

 plain, over which two emus were going best pace ; 

 we therefore named it in their honour : while the 

 valley to the southward was christened after the 

 Beagle, and the ranges on either side bore the 

 names of her former and present commander : 

 those to the north-east and south-west were called, 

 after the officers who accompanied me, Forsyth 

 and Bynoe Ranges. The soil on Emu Plains was 

 far superior to any we had seen since leaving 

 the boat, and was lightly and picturesquely timbered 

 with the white gum. We were very cautious in 

 choosing our sleeping berth for the night, to avoid 

 a surprise during the dark ; we therefore selected 

 a friendly hollow beneath the stem of a straggling 

 and drooping old gum-tree, large enough to con- 

 ceal the whole party, near the centre of a great 

 patch of pebbles, with the river, on one side, within 

 a hundred yards of us, and on the other, distant 

 about three hundred. 



Those who are practically conversant with such 

 positions as this, will readily call to mind what a 

 safeguard from any nightly approach was afforded 

 by the loose pebbles that surrounded us, upon which 

 not even the unshod foot of a native could fall 

 without so much of accompanying noise as would 

 serve to put the watch with his ear to the ground upon 

 the qui vive : this was proved to be the case during 



VOL. II. G 



