CH. II.] RETURN TO VANGULDA. 51 



mined upon returning to Tangulua, and by pursuing the 

 Nammoy, to endeavour to turn this r^nge, and so enter the 

 region beyond it. With this resolution, I moved back to 

 the depot, which we left in the morning, ai."d having reached 

 it, made preparations to retrace our course. Mr. White 

 followed Maule's river for some miles to the westward, so 

 that we could judge of the direction, in which it fell into the 

 Nammoy. This evening, as Burnett, the carpenter, was 

 seated beside a pool with his gun, silently engager in watching 

 some ducks, two natives approached on the opposite side to 

 fill a small vessel with water, they looked around very 

 cautiously, as if conscious that we were near, but Burnett 

 very prudently did not allow them to see him. 



Dec. 21. — The whole party having started early, we this 

 day reached the former encampment near Tangialda, a dis- 

 tance of twenty-one miles, in seven hours. 



Dec. 22. — I set out before the party moved off, in order to 

 mark the line of route for the carts, and to fix on a spot for 

 the camp. I rode over firm and level ground, on a bearing 

 of 295°, which I knew would bring me to the little hill 

 observed from Tangidda, where the Nammoy passes to the 

 lower country beyond. The morning was so foggy, that I 

 could see none of the hills. The perfume from the recently 

 burnt bushes of acacia pendula, was most fragrant, and, to 

 me, quite new. At six miles I came upon the river which 

 was flowing rapidly northward. Its deeper bed and spark- 

 ling waters, looked very different from the stagnant lagoon 

 we had left that morning. The grass along the banks was 

 excellent, and on the little hill beside the river, hung pines 

 fcallitris pyramidalis) in abundance. Lofty blue gum-trees 

 grew on the margin of the stream, and the place, upon the 

 whole, seemed favourable for the formation of a depot, 

 where I might leave the cattle to refresh, while I proceeded 

 down the Nammoy in the canvass boats, with the materials 

 for constructing which, we were provided. This river was 

 the channel of the united waters of the Peel, Muluerindie 



E 2 



