CH. VII.] FEW KANGAROOS OR EMUS. 291 



The grass was beautifully green beneath the heaps, and full 

 of seeds, and our cattle were very fond of this hay. I found 

 there also two other kinds of grass, which were equally new 

 to me, the one being an Andropogon allied to A. hombycinus ; 

 the other apparently a species o^ Myurus. 



July 31. — Continued along our route to our former camp 

 of 17th June. 



Aug. 1. — Two smart showers of about two minutes dura- 

 tion each, fell during the night, but the wind, which had 

 been blowing from the north-west was so parching, that the 

 canvass of our tents was quite dry by day-break. The sky 

 was ovei'cast with heavy clouds in the morning, but by noon 

 it became clear. We travelled so as to make a short cut on 

 our two days' journey of the 16th and 17th June, and thus, 

 at about eight miles, we made that part of the river which 

 we had seen formerly when nearly three miles from it, and 

 here we encamped. As we crossed the plain on which the 

 last kangaroo had been killed, we saw many fresh tracks of 

 these animals ; and the dogs took after one, which they killed, 

 as appeared by their mouths when they returned. It may be 

 observed that lower down on the Darling, we saw neither 

 kangaroos nor emus, a sufficient proof of the barrenness of 

 the adjacent country. This day the ground somewhat i"e- 

 sembled forest land, and we saw one or two trees of sub- 

 stantial timber, of the description which the colonists term 

 mahogany. 



Aug. 2. — ^We proceeded in a direction, by which we reached 

 our former route, after four miles travelling ; and at a dis- 

 tance of five miles more, we came to a spot near the river, 

 where we encamped with the intention of avoiding next 

 morning the detour, we made on approaching the camp, 

 when we formerly occupied the spot in the bend of the river. 

 As soon as our people approached the bank, we met with a 

 gin and two young girls, upon which they called to an old 

 man, who soon came up. He appeared no way alarmed, and 

 seemed to have seen us before. The fatal tea-kettle again 



u 2 



