natives become troublesome. 131 
of opinion that this is the most southerly of the rivers crossed 
hy him and Mr. Hovel in 1823 ; but, as I have already re- 
marked, 1 apprehend that all the rivers those gentlemen 
crossed, had united in one main stream above the junction 
of the Morumbidgee, and I think it much more probable 
that this is a new river, and that it rises to the westward 
of Port Phillips, rather than in the S.E. angle of the coast. 
We found the blacks who had deserted us with a tribe 
at the junction, but it was weak in point of numbers ; as were 
also two other tribes or hordes to whom we were introduced 
in rapid succession. Taken collectively, they could not have 
amounted to 230 men, women, and children. The last of 
these hordes was exceedingly troublesome, and I really 
thought we should have been obliged to quarrel with them. 
Whether it was that we were getting impatient, or that our 
tempers were soured, I know not, but even M‘Leay, whose 
partiality towards the natives was excessive at the com- 
mencement of our journey, now became weary of such con- 
stant communication as we had kept up with them. Their 
sameness of appearance, the disgusting diseases that raged 
among them, their abominable filth, the manner in which 
they pulled us about, and the impossibility of making them 
understand us, or of obtaining any information from them, 
for if we could have succeeded in this point, we should 
have gladly borne every inconvenience, — all combined to 
estrange us from these people, and to make their presence 
disagreeable. Yet there was an absolute necessity to keep 
up the chain of communication, to ensure our own safety, 
k 2 
