34 ANOTHER NATIVE GUIDE. [CH. I. 



tasted this fish at Bathurst, I could not perceive any differ- 

 ence either in flavour or appearance. 



Being at length ahout to enter the Terra incognita, I 

 deemed it expedient to re-pack our stores, in order, that the 

 load might be made as light and compact as possible, and 

 that we might pass with less difiiculty over whatever de- 

 scription of ground we were destined to encounter. With 

 this view, I directed the flour to be started from casks into 

 bags, and made such arrangements as tended materially 

 to lessen the bulk of our provisions and other necessary 

 stores. Having questioned the natives with regard to the 

 course of the Peel, I learnt that, instead of flowing north- 

 ward, as hitherto supposed, it took a westerly direction, and 

 was soon joined by the " Muluerindie," a river coming from 

 the north-east. The natives further assured me, that there 

 was a good ford below the junction of these streams at a 

 place called " Wallanburra ;" and I determined to proceed 

 to this ford, as it was not advisable, with the " Muluerindie" 

 beyond, to cross the river above the junction. Being 

 anxious to procure another guide, the overseer atWallamoul 

 brought me a native named " Mr. Bro^m," who agreed to 

 accompany our party on condition that he should receive 

 blankets for himself and his " gin," and a tomahawk, the 

 latter being a small hatchet, which is so valuable a substitute 

 for their stone hatchet, that almost all natives within reach 

 of the colony have them, even where the white man is 

 known as yet only by name — or as the manufacturer of 

 this most important of all implements to the Australian 

 native. 



Dec. 13. — Mr. Finch having joined us on the previous 

 evening, without procuring the supply of flour that I had ex- 

 pected, I despatched him back this morning to the Hunter's 

 River district, with directions to procure as much flour, tea, 

 and sugar as he could pack on six bullocks, and to follow 

 along my line of marked trees with all possible speed. I 



