MR. HUMe’s excursion. 
51 
body of water usually in it is, it now only afforded a few 
shallow puddles. Mr. Hume travelled through brushes 
until he came upon a third creek, similar to the one he had 
left behind him, at which he halted for the night. The 
water in it was bad, and the feed for the animals extremely 
poor. The brush lined the creek thickly, and consisted 
chiefly of acacia pendula and box. The country preserved 
an uniform level, nor did Mr. Hume, from the highest trees, 
observe any break on the horizon. 
On the 2d of January, Mr. Hume kept more northerly, 
being unable to penetrate the brushes he encountered. At 
two miles he crossed a creek leading to the N.W., between 
which and the place at which he had slept, he passed a native 
burial ground, containing eight graves. The earth was 
piled up in a conical shape, but the trees were not carved 
over as he had seen them in most other places. 
The country became more open after he had passed the 
last mentioned creek, whicli he again struck upon at the 
distance of eight miles, and as it was then leading to the 
N.N.E. he followed it down for eighteen or twenty miles, 
and crossed it frequently during the day. The creek was 
dry in most places, and where he stopped for the night 
the water was bad, and the cattle feed indifferent. 
Mr. Hume saw many huts, but none of them had been 
recently occupied, although large quantities of muscle- 
shells were scattered about. He computed that he had 
travelled about thirty miles, in a N. N. W. direction, and 
the whole of the land he passed over was, generally 
E 2 
