STATU OF PROVISIONS. 
113 
channel of the Murray much encumbered with timber, and 
noticed some banks of sand that were of unusual size, and 
equalled the largest accumulations of it on the sea shore, 
both in extent and solidity. 
We would gladly have fired into the flights of wild fowl 
that winged their way over us, for we, about this time, 
began to feel the consequences of the disaster that befel us 
in the Morumbidgee. The fresh water having got mixed 
with the brine in the meat casks, the greater part of our 
salt provisions had got spoiled, so that we were obliged to be 
extremely economical in the expenditure of what remained, 
as we knew not to what straits we might be driven. It will 
naturally be asked why we did not procure fish? The 
answer is easy. The men had caught many in the Morum- 
bidgee, and on our first navigation of the Murray, but 
whether it was that they had disagreed with them, or that 
their appetites were palled, or that they were too fatigued 
after the labour of the day to set the lines, they did not ap- 
pear to care about them. The only fish we could take was 
the common cod or perch ; and, without sauce or butter, it is 
insipid enough. We occasionally exchanged pieces of iron- 
hoop for two other kinds of fish, the one a bream, the other 
a barbel, with the natives, and the eagerness with which 
they met our advances to barter, is a strong proof of their 
natural disposition towards this first step in civilization. 
As they threw off all reserve when accompanying us as 
ambassadors, we had frequent opportunities of observing 
their habits. The facility, for instance, with which they 
von. ii. . 
