314 DISCOVERY OF THE CAPER TREE. [CH. VIII. 



raerous white men beyond the hills, neither were the blacks 

 of these parts ever knoAvn to behave like the savages on the 

 lower Darling. I sought, in vain, for my lost telescope during 

 this day's journey ; the natives having probably found it, as 

 the whole line of our track was much marked with their 

 footsteps. We reached our former camp of May 20 and 21, 

 by two o'clock, and again pitched our tents near that spot. 



Aug. 17. — Nineteen of our bullocks had strayed during 

 the night, but were found about seven miles back, in a scrub 

 near the Bogan. We did not, therefore, start until ten o'clock, 

 but were able, nevertheless, to cross the Pink hills, and 

 reach our ground of May 1 9. To-day I fell in with a tree, 

 of which I saw but a single specimen during my former 

 journey,* and I had observed only a sickly one before dur- 

 ing this expedition. It bore a yellow flower, and fruit resem- 

 bling a small pomegranate, on a hooked stalk. I had un- 

 fortunately omitted to gather specimens of it, when seen by 

 me in flower, in 1831 ; and now I could not procure any of 

 the seeds, every rind being hollow, and the interior destroyed 

 apparently by insects. I considered this a very remarkable 

 tree, as well from its rare occurrence, as on account of its 

 fruit, of which the natives appear to make some use. 



The Pink hills, as I have already mentioned, consist of 

 the diluvial gravel ; and their position at the point sepa- 

 rating the tributary basin of the Macquarie and Bogan, from 

 the channel of the Darling, is just where such a deposit might 

 be produced. 



Aug. 18. — I was more successful in my search, this morn- 

 ing, for seeds of the fruit above-mentioned ; and I was sur- 

 prised to find many specimens of the tree in the scrub, 

 through which we had previously passed, without observing 

 them. On one plant, we found some fruit apparently full 

 grown, but not ripe ; and on others perfect specimens of the 

 last year's crop, including, of course, the seeds. The fruit re- 

 sembles a small lemon, but has within, small nuts or stones, 



* Seepage 2^7. 



