22 BURNING HILL OF WINGEN. [CH. I. 



Scoone was in the valley of Strathearne, and that the pillow 

 of Jacob which had been kept there as the coronation stone 

 of the Kings of Scotland, was fated still to be, where their 

 dominion extended ; and as this valley of the Kingdon Ponds, 

 had not received a general name, that it might be called 

 Strathearne, &c. &c. We were finally compelled, although 

 it still wanted two hours of noon^ to drink a " stirrup-cup" 

 at the door — when he most heartily drank success to our ex- 

 pedition, and I went on my way rejoicing that, on leaving 

 the last man of the white race we were likely to see for some 

 time, the ceremony of shaking hands was a vibration of sin- 

 cere kindness. 



We soon overtook the party — and had proceeded with it, 

 some distance, when a soldier of the mounted police came 

 up, and delivered to me a letter, from the military secre- 

 tary at Sydney, informing me by command of the Acting- 

 Governor, that George Clarke — alias " the Barber,^' — (the 

 bushranger,) had sawed off his irons, and escaped from 

 the prison at Bathurst. This intelligence was meant to put 

 me on my guard respecting the natives, for from the well 

 known character of the man, it was supposed, that he would 

 assemble them beyond the settled districts, with a view to 

 drive off the cattle of the colonists — and especial caution 

 would be necessary to prevent a surprise from natives so 

 directed, if, as most people supposed, his story of " the great 

 river," had only been an invention of his own, by which he 

 had hoped to improve his chance of escape. (See Appendix, 

 No. 1.) 



At three v. m., we reached a spot favourable for en- 

 camping, the Kingdon brook forming a broad pool, deep 

 enough to batho in, and the grass in the neighbourhood 

 being very good. The " burning hill" of " Wingen" was 

 distant al>out four miles. This ])henomenon appears to be 

 of the same character as that at llolworth, in the neighbour- 

 liood of W(!ymouth, described by Professor Buckland and 

 Mr. Dc la Beche in the following terms : — " It is probable 



