46 WANT OF WATER. [CH. II. 



female kangaroo, with a nearly full-grown young one, which 

 she retained to the last, within her pouch . The death of no 

 animal can excite more sympathy than that of one of these 

 inoffensive creatures. The country beyond the low range was 

 more open for two miles; the only trees being " iron bark." 

 At 15 miles we met an impenetrable scrub of forest oakfcasna- 

 rina), through which no passage appearing near, we were 

 compelled, hot as the day was, to cut our way with axes 

 where the trees were smallest and least numerous. We thus 

 cleared our course for a mile and a half, when we had the good 

 fortune to see once more an open forest before us, and after 

 a journey of eighteen miles, the party encamped on a dry 

 water-course, but without much prospect of finding any 

 water. We had carried eleven gallons from our last camp, but 

 the men had already experienced the full benefit of this, in 

 cutting through the scrub, during a hot wind, after having 

 travelled fifteen miles. 



When the camp was fixed, I rode forward with Mr. White 

 and the native, and soon entered an extensive valley, beyond 

 which, I could just perceive, through the general smoke, a I 

 majestic chain of mountains extending to the westward. I 

 never felt less love for the picturesque than at that time, for 

 grand as the outline was, I could perceive no opening by which 

 I could hope to cross it. Our present urgent want, however, 

 was water, and fortunately, at a distance of upwards of four 

 miles from the camp, we reached the stream watering that 

 valley, and which we thankfully saluted with our parched 

 lips, its waters being cool and clear. Im])rinted on their 

 sandy margin, however, our native guide discovered, appa- 

 rently with horror, the fresh traces of human feet. The 

 trees bore numerous marks of the " niogo" or stone hatchet, 

 the use of which distinguishes the bar))arovis fi-om the " civil" 

 blackfellows, who all use iron tomahawks. Although " Mr. 

 Brown" made the woods echo with his " cooys" — their inha- 

 bitants remained silent and concealed, a circumstance which 

 seemed to distress him very much. 



