TRAVELLING DOWN THE RIVER. 
43 
Figuratively speaking, they appeared like islands amidst 
the alluvial deposits, and were as pure in their composition 
as the sand on the sea-shore. They were generally covered 
with forest grass, in tufts, and a coarse kind of rushes, under 
banksias and cypresses. We found, a small fire on the 
banks of the river, and close to it the couch and hut of a 
solitary native, who had probably seen us approach, and 
had fled. There cannot be many inhabitants hereabouts, 
since there are no paths to indicate that they frequent this 
part of the Morumbidgee more atone season than another. 
On the 9th, the river fell off again to the westward, and 
we lost a good deal of the northing we had made the day 
before. We journeyed pretty nearly equi-distant from the 
stream, and kept altogether on the alluvial flats. As we 
were wandering along the banks of the river, a black started 
up before us, and swam across to the opposite side, where 
he immediately hid himself. We could by no means induce 
him to shew himself ; he was probably the lonely being 
whom we had scared away from the fire the day before. 
In the afternoon, however we surprised a family of six na- 
tives, and persuaded them to follow us to our halting place. 
My boy understood them well ; but the young savage had 
the cunning to hide the information they gave him, or, for 
aught I know, to ask questions that best suited his own 
purposes, and therefore we gained little intelligence from 
them. 
Every day now produced some change in the face of the 
country, by which it became more and more assimilated to 
