'284 RETURN OF MR. LARMER. [CH. VII. 



to, and afterwards cooyed to the others, hefore they joined 

 them, it was supposed, that these had just arrived from a 

 distance. 



Mr. Larmer returned at dusk, having seen two more fine 

 ponds of water, in the direction of the river bed, which we 

 had lately left. He reported, however, that the water-course 

 ran eastward, or contrary to that of the Darling, a direction 

 also opposed to the fall of the hills, where it no doubt origi- 

 nated. The party met a tribe of blacks, in huts, at the largest 

 and most eastern of these ponds. They were perfectly inoffen- 

 sive, only looking from their huts and asking, as it seenied, 

 which way the party was going. Mr. Larmer reported, that 

 he saw from the range, which he ascended, a higher one 

 about 40 miles to the southward, and smoke in the interme- 

 diate valley, the country being covered with a thick scrub. 



July 23. — We proceeded at first bh miles along our former 

 route, than eight miles in a north-east direction, by which 

 course we avoided the former camp of the " Spitting tribe," 

 and a portion of our route which led over a very soft, cracked 

 plain : we also shortened the distance so much as to gain one 

 day upon three of our former stages. In making this new 

 cut, we had the good fortune to meet with firm open ground, 

 so that we encamped by thi'ee p.m., within sight of the river 

 and our former route, and five miles beyond the camp of 

 June 27, where the Spitting tribe had probably remained, 

 expecting us. 



July 24. — Early in the morning, we observed a smoke in 

 the woods near the river, at a distance of about two miles. 

 At length, I saw through my glass a native with a skin 

 cloak advancing over the naked plains towards us, but he 

 soon disappeared, then I perceived two others coming rapidly 

 forward ; at length I heard them calling, and observed that 

 one held high up, a green brancii in his right hand. The 

 intervening country was an extensive, open, dusty plain, and 

 our camp was partially concealed by trees. The savages 

 came to a stand for a moment, at a low bush, a cjuarter of a 



