304 CHARACTER OF THE NATIVES. [ciI.VII. 



pression of dignity, wlien he may liave pricked up his ears, 

 and turned his horns towards these wild specimens of the 

 " lords of the creation." Travellers in Australian deserts 

 will find, that such savages cannot I'emain at rest when near, 

 but are ever ready and anxious to strip them by all means in 

 their power, of everything, however useless to the natives. 

 It was not until we proceeded en vainqueur, that we knew 

 anything like tranquillity on the Darling ; and I am now of 

 opinion, that to discourage at once the approach of such na- 

 tives, would tend more to the safety of an exploring party, 

 than presenting them with gifts. These rovers of the wilds 

 seem to consider such presents, as the offerings of fear and 

 weakness ; and 1 attribute much of their outrageous conduct 

 to such mistaken notions, and their incorrigible covetousness, 

 against which, the best security, unfortunately for them and 

 us, appeared to be to keep them at a distance. 



The further we descended the river, the more implacably 

 savage we found the blacks. I have already remarked, that 

 the more ferocious had not lost their front teeth, and that 

 those we had seen on the Upper Darling, had all lost one 

 tooth. Indeed it was precisely, where we first Avitnessed the 

 inauspicious ceremony of the green branch burnt, and waved 

 at us in defiance, that we first found natives, who retained 

 both front teeth. A considerable portion of the river, quite 

 uninhabited, lay between these fire-throwers and the less 

 offensive natives, and there was a difference in the pronun- 

 ciation, at least, if not in the words, of the tribes. 



The old men on the Darling, are by far the most expert at 

 stealing ; and notwithstanding my marks of respect to them 

 in particular, they were not the less the instigators and abet- 

 tors of every thing wrong. A mischievous old man is usually 

 accompanied by a stout middle aged man and a boy ; thus the 

 cunning of the old one, the strength of him of middle age, 

 and the agility of the youth, are combined with advantage; 

 both in their intercourse with their neigh])Ours, and in seeking 

 tlie moans of existence. The old man leads, as fittofl by liis 



