CHAPTER V. 



Rain at last — Stockade erected— Named Fort Bourke — Visited by the natives 

 — Mortality among them from small-pox — Results of the journey — Friendly 

 disposition of a native — Boats launched — Presents to natives — They become 

 importunate — We leave the depot and embark in the boats — Slow progress 

 down the river — Return to the depot — Natives in canoes — Excursion with a 

 party on horseback — A perfumed vegetable — Interview with natives — Pre- 

 sent them with tomahawks — Unsuccessful search for Mr. Hume's marked 

 tree — Ascend D'Urban's group — Promising view to the southward — A burnt 

 scrub full of spinous dead boughs — A night without water — Return to the 

 camp — The party proceeds down the Darling — Surprise a party of natives 

 — New acacia — Mr. Hume's tree found — Fall in the Darling — Surprised by 

 a party of natives — Emu killed by the dogs — Dunlop's range — Meet the 

 Puppy tribe — Ascend Dunlop's range — High land discovered to the west- 

 ward — Grass pulled and piled in ricks by the natives — Hills beyond the 

 Darling — Convenient refraction — Native huts — Interview with the Red 

 tribe — The Puppy tribe— How to avoid the sandy hills and soft plains — 

 Macculloch's range — Visit a hill beyond the Darling — View from its summit. 



May 27. — During the night the wmd blew, and rain fell, 

 for the first time, since the jDarty left the colony. As we had 

 been travelling for the last month on ground, which must 

 have become impassable after two days of wet weather, it may 

 be imagined what satisfaction our high position gave me, 

 when I heard the rain patter. The morning being fair, I 

 reconnoitered the course of the river, and the environs of our 

 camp, and at once selected the spot, on which our tents then 

 stood, for a place of defence, and a station in which the party 

 should be left with the cattle. The boats were immediately 

 lowered from the carriage, and although they had been 

 brought 500 miles across mountain ranges, and through track- 

 less forests, we found them in as perfect a state as when they 

 left the dock-yard at Sydney. 



Our first care was to erect a strong stockade of rough logs, 

 that we might be secure under any circumstances ; for we 

 had not asked permission to come there from the inhabitants, 

 who had been reported to be numerous, and who would of 



