128 
GEOLOGICAL EXAMINATION. 
have been swollen by some late rains. Perhaps, it had its 
sources in the hills we had seen ; be that as it may, it. 
completely discoloured the waters of the Murray. 
We made it a point never to distribute any presents among 
the natives until we had made them all sit, or stand, in a row. 
Sometimes this was a troublesome task, but we generally 
succeeded in gaining our point ; with a little exertion of 
patience. M'Leay was a famous hand at ordering the 
ranks, and would, I am sure, have made a capital drill- 
sergeant, not less on account of his temper than of his 
perseverance. I called the little tributary I have noticed, 
the Rufus, in honour of my friend M'Leay’s red head, and 
I have no doubt, he will understand the feeling that in- 
duced me to give it such a name. 
Not many miles below the Rufus, we passed under a lofty 
cliff upon the same side with it. It is the first elevation 
of any consequence that occurs below the Darling, and not 
only on that account, but also on account of the numerous 
substances of which it is composed, and the singular 
formation that is near requires to be particularly notic- 
ed.* The examination was a task of considerable 
danger, and both Fraser and myself had well nigh been 
buried under a mass of the cliff that became suddenly 
detached, and, breaking into thousands of pieces, went 
hissing and cracking into the river. 
The weather about this time was extremely oppressive 
and close. Thunder clouds darkened the sky, but no rain 
* See Appendix. 
