296 Hume's tree. [ch. vii. 



cod-perch they should have one in exchange. We could catch 

 none of these fishes ourselves, which was rather singular, as 

 some of our poor fellows were indefatigable in making the 

 attempt every night, with hook and line and all kinds of bait. 

 The natives seemed to understand our wants, and they pro- 

 mised to bring us fish in the morning. At sun-set, the wind 

 changed to the south-west, and the sky became overcast : 

 the air also was cooler, and after such heat as that which we 

 experienced to-day, at this season, a fall of rain might have 

 been expected ; but I felt less apprehensive here, from four 

 months' experience of the climate of the interior. 



Aug. 8. — Eai'ly this morning, a number of natives came 

 near our camp, but without bringing any fish. The man to 

 whom the promise of a tomahawk had been made, was not, 

 however, amongst them. I went up to the party when we 

 were about to continue our journey, and I recognized one of 

 the Fort Bourke tribe, the "total gules" man, who had for- 

 merly appeared very shy and timid. Now, however, in half 

 a minute his hand was in my pocket ; on which I instantly 

 mounted my horse and rode on. We crossed the tracks of 

 our horses' feet on my first excursion, and entered a plain, 

 where we struck into the old route. In this plain, we saw 

 three emus, and killed one, after a hard run. On coming 

 to the hollow, which leads to the tree marked with Mr. 

 Hume's initials (and which may therefore be called Hume's 

 Creek), I measured with the chain its channel to the river, 

 so as to connect the tree with the survey. I found that it 

 bore due north from where our route crossed this hollow, the 

 distance being sixty-nine chains. We reached our camp of 

 the Dth of June by half-past two o'clock, and took up the 

 same ground. 



Aug. 9. — We continued our journey along the old track to 

 our camp of the 8th of June, where we once more rested for 

 the night. This was a very convenient station, being nearly 

 on tlie miirgin of the river, the bank of wiiich, consisting of 

 concretionary limestone, afiorded easy access for the cattle to 



