CHAPTER VI. 



Natives of the Spitting tribe — Singular behaviour on the discharge of a 

 pistol — Conjectures — Second interview with the Spitting tribe — Strange cere- 

 monial — Amusing attempts to steal, or diamond cut diamond — Dry channel 

 of a stream — Tombs on the sand hills — White balls on tombs — Australian 

 shamrock — Old canoe — Dry state of the country — Danger and difficulty of 

 watching the cattle on the river banks — Uniform character of the Darling — 

 The Grenadier bird — The " Doctor" and the natives — A range discovered 

 by refraction — Dance of natives — A lake — Tombs of a tribe — Plan of 

 natives' huts — Method of making cordage — The tall native's first visit — 

 Channel of a small stream — The carts beset on the journey by very covetous 

 natives — Mischievous signals — Cattle worn out — The tall man again — Ap- 

 proach of the Fishing tribe — Covetous old man — Conduct on witnessing the 

 effect of a shot — The party obliged to halt from the weak state of the cattle 

 — The natives very troublesome — Singular ceremonies — Ichthyophagi — Their 

 manner of fishing — The burning brand — A tribe from the south-east — The 

 old man appears again with a tribe from the south-west — Small streams 

 from the west — The Darling turns southward — Resolve to return — Descrip- 

 tion of the country on the banks of the river — The men at the river obliged 

 to fire upon the natives— Steady conduct of the party — Origin of the dispute 

 — Narrow escape of Muirhead — Treacherous conduct of the aborigines— Me- 

 lancholy reflections. 



June 27. — About nine o'clock this morning, Joseph Jones 

 came in to report, that a native had pointed a spear at him 

 when he was on the river bank with the sheep ; and that this 

 native, accompanied by a boy, kept his ground in a position 

 which placed the sheep entirely in his power, and prevented 

 Jones from driving them back. He added, that on his hold- 

 ing out a green bough, the man had also taken a bough, 

 spit upon it, and then thrust it into the fire. On hastening 

 to the spot with three men, I found the native still there, no 

 way daunted, and on my advancing towards him with a 

 twig, he shook another twig at me, quite in a new style, 

 waving it over his head, and at the same time intimating 



