DANGEROUS RAPIDS. 
199 
given as to its flooded origin. The clouds that obscured 
the sky, and had threatened to burst for some time, at 
length gave way, and we experienced two or three days of 
heavy rain. In the midst of it we passed the second stage 
of our journey, and found the spot lately so crowded with 
inhabitants totally deserted. A little above it we surprised 
a small tribe in a temporary shelter ; but neither our offers 
nor presents could prevail on any of them to expose them- 
selves to the torrent that was falling. They sat shivering 
in their bark huts in evident astonishment at our indiffer- 
ence. We threw them some trifling presents and were 
glad to proceed unattended by any of them. 
It will be remembered that in passing down the river, the 
boat was placed in some danger in descending a rapid before 
we reached the junction of the Murray with the stream sup- 
posed by me to be the Darling. We were now gradually 
approaching the rapid, nor did I well know how we 
should surmount such an obstacle. Strength to pull up it 
we had not, and I feared our ropes would not be long enough 
to reach to the shore over some of the rocks, since it de- 
scended in minor declivities to a considerable distance 
below the principal rapid, in the centre of which the boat 
had struck. We reached the commencement of these rapids 
on the 6th, and ascended the first by means of ropes, which 
were hauled upon by three of the men from the bank ; and, 
as the day was pretty far advanced, we stopped a little 
above it, that we might attempt the principal rapid before 
we should be exhausted by previous exertion. It was 
