320 THE BOGAN TRIBE. [CH. VIII. 



these hot winds blowing so early in the season, that the 

 drought and the absence of any humidity in the climate, 

 prevailed to a very great extent, over the interior regions. 

 This is, what I should expect to find in the central parts of 

 Australia, from the nature of that portion which I had seen 

 and the state of the weather throughout the winter. An al- 

 most perpetual sun-shine had prevailed, dry cirro-cumulous 

 clouds had arisen indeed sometimes, but no point of the 

 earth's surface, was of sufficient height to attract them, or to 

 arrest their progress in the sky. There seemed neither on 

 the earth nor in the air sufficient humidity to feed a cloud. 

 Dew was very uncommon, the moisture from the one or two 

 slight showers, which did reach the ground, was measured 

 out in this shape upon the vegetation, on the mornings imme- 

 diately succeeding their fall. The hot wind of the Bogan met 

 with no antidote, as in Sydney, where the heat of a similar 

 wind is usually moderated towards evening, by a strong south- 

 west breeze. On the Bogan the wind was oppressively hot 

 during the night, and lulled only towards morning. 



jiug^ 27.— Our cattle moved on in the morning, apparently 

 much better for the rest, and the grass on which they had 

 fed here. We reached, in good time, a small open plain, 

 distant about two miles from our camp of May 11, and halted 

 close by a pond in the bed of the Bogan. At this point, 

 there were several fires, but the natives had run ofi" on our 

 approach ; at sunset, however, a young man came frankly up 

 to our camp, when we recognized " Talambe," one of those 

 who had accompanied the king of the Bogan. We were all 

 very glad to meet with an old acquaintance, even of this kind 

 and colour ; and although he could only say " budgery," this 

 was something, after the total want of any common terms with 

 the savages we had lately seen ; and really the mild tone of 

 voice, andverydifferentmanner of this native, and others of his 

 tribe, who came up next morning, made us feel comparatively 

 at home, although still not very far from Oxley's Table-land. 

 A Iff/. 28. — Several natives came up with Talambe in the 



