258 A FRIENDLY TRIBE. • [CH. VI. 



July 4. — The same tribe came up to om' tents in the 

 morning with tlie men, who had been in charge of the 

 cattle, and who reported, that these natives had assisted in 

 finding them. I was so much pleased with this kindness, 

 and the quiet, orderly behaviour of the tribe, that I pre- 

 sented two of them with clasp-knifes. They approached 

 fearlessly, gins and all, and quite unarmed, to a short dis- 

 tance from our camp ; and they were all curiosity to see our 

 party. The difference between the conduct of these harmless 

 ))eople, and that of those whom w^e had last seen, was very 

 striking. All the men retained both front teeth, an uncom- 

 mon circumstance ; for these were the first natives, whom 

 I had seen in Australia possessing both. Their women were 

 rather good-looking. After travelling six miles, we crossed 

 the dry bed of a water-course, which I supposed was the 

 same as that from which we turned a day or two before, but 

 the line of bearing of this was southward, and we were fol- 

 lowing the river which flowed in the contrary direction. 

 After travelling about eleven miles, we encamped a mile 

 east of two bends of the stream, beside a patch of scrub which 

 afforded us fuel. The banks of the Darling near this camp, 

 were unusually low, being not more than thirty feet high ; 

 the channel also was contracted, and containing many dead 

 trees, had altogether a diminished appearance. 



July 5. — Penetrating the scrub in a southerly direction, 

 we soon came upon open ground, the surface of which con- 

 sisted of firm clay. The river was close on our right, until, 

 at about six miles forward, it turned off to the westward. 

 We pursued our journey over plains and through scrubs, 

 first south-west, then west, and finally north-west, encamp- 

 ing at last, after a journey of fourteen miles, where the bend 

 of the river Avas still 1 \ miles to the north of us. We had 

 crossed at 12 miles the dry bed of a river, which was five 

 chains wide, and whose course was to the north. In it 

 were several natives' canoes, and on its banks grew large 

 river gum-trees, or eucalypti. The course of this tributary 



