202 natives' knowledge of localities. [cH. IV. 



near a thick scrub, they would sometimes request me to halt, 

 until they could examine it., This day, we passed, in the 

 channel of the Bogan, a long and deep reach or lagoon, called 

 Muda, of which the natives had made much mention ; but to 

 have remained at this water, would have made the day's jour- 

 ney too short ; so we proceeded to a smaller hole named 

 Walwadyer, having crossed and recrossed the dry channel of 

 the Bogan. 



31ay 8. — Tackijally, who had of late steadily conducted us 

 to water, came up, when we were ready to start, and shewed 

 me the direction in which I was to find water, at the end of 

 the day's journey, which appeared to be, as he pointed, 343°. 

 He then held up the opossum skins of his cloak, making 

 signs in that manner, that he went to seek opossums, but 

 should rejoin us afterwards. 



We twice crossed the Bogan in the first half mile, and 

 then traversed an open plain, the surface of which was flat, 

 firm, and nearly bare. As we reached the northern skirts, 

 the king, with Talambe Nadoo, and Tackijally rejoined us. 



At four miles we passed a good pond called Daumbwan. 

 We encamped further on, at a place called Murrebouga, 

 where there was a large pond, the direct distance from 

 Walwadyer being 51 miles ; and it was a curious test of the 

 accuracy of the native's local knowledge, that although he 

 recommended this pond of Murrebouga, by merely pointing 

 in its direction, I had, by following with compass the course 

 indicated, hit the very pond to which he meant us to go. 



May 9. — Again guided by Tackijally, we travelled to- 

 wards Darobal, the distance being 7$ miles. We several 

 times crossed the bed of the Bogan, and in this day's journey,. 

 we were joined by Dalumbe Tugunda, and others of the Bun- 

 gan tribe, to whom the chief was anxious to introduce us. 

 We had this day, an opportunity of witnessing his superiority 

 in tho.-e qualifications by which, lie was, no doubt, dis- 

 tinguished among the savage tribes. We had overtaken a 

 strong man vvitii a bad countenance, prowling along through 



