CH. v.] MURDER OF HIS MEN. Ill 



man, possessed any means of defence! Taking- a piece of 

 pork and some flour in a havresack, he hastened from the 

 dismal scene ; and by travelling all day, and passing the 

 nights without fire, he most providentially escaped the na- 

 tives, and, had at length, reached our camp. 



Thus terminated my hopes of exploring the country beyond 

 the Karaula, and I could not but feel thankful for the pro- 

 vidential circumstance of Mr. Finch's arrival, at the very 

 moment, I was about to proceed on that undertaking, trusting 

 that I should find, in returning to this depot, the supplies 

 which I expected him to bring. We had now, on the con- 

 trary, an additional demand on our much exhausted stock of 

 provisions. The season, when rain might be expected, was 

 approaching, and we had behind us tAvo hundred miles of 

 country subject to inundation, without a hill to which we 

 could in such a case repair. The soil was likely to become 

 impassable after two days rain, and our cart wheels were 

 represented by the carpenters to be almost unserviceable. 

 These considerations, and the hostile disposition of the natives 

 in our rear, not only deterred me from crossing the Karaula, 

 but seemed to require my particular attention to the journey 

 homewards. We had at least accomplished the main object 

 of the expedition, by ascertaining that there was no truth in 

 the bushranger's report, respecting the great river. 



Feb. 7. — The wheels of the carts requiring repair before 

 we could commence our retreat, the carpenters were em- 

 ployed on this work until three p.m. Our boat (emblem of 

 our hopes !) was sunk in the deepest part of the Karaula. 

 The natives were heard approaching during the morning; and 

 crows and hawks, hovering in the air, marked their place in 

 the woods. At length, I perceived them peeping at us from 

 behind trees ; but our feelings towards the aborigines were 

 very different then, from what they had been, before we 

 received the news brought by Mr. Finch, however innocent 

 these people might be of the murder of his men. I did 

 not, therefore, invite their approach, and they were too 



