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CHAPTER III. 
Intercourse with the natives — Their appearance and condition - - Re- 
marks on the Salt or Darling River — Appearance of the Marshes 
on our return — Alarm for safety of the provision party — Return 
to Mount Harris — Miserable condition of the natives — Circum- 
stances attending the slaughter of two Irish runaways — Bend our 
course towards the Castlereagh — Wallis’s Ponds — Find the 
famished natives feeding on gum — Channel of the Castlereagh — 
Character of the country in its vicinity — Another tribe of natives — 
Amicable intercourse with them — Morriset’s chain of Ponds 
Again reach the Darling River ninety miles higher up than where 
we first struck upon it. 
We kept near the river as we journeyed homewards, and 
in striking across a plain, found an isolated rock of quartz 
and jasper, just shewing itself partially above the surface 
of the ground. 
We were anxious to get to the small plain I have men- 
tioned, if possible, for the sake of the animals, and pushed 
on rapidly for it. About 4 p. m. we had reached our 
sleeping place of the previous evening, and being over- 
powered by thirst, we stopped in hopes that by making 
our tea strong we might destroy, in some measure, the 
nauseous taste of the water. The horses were spancelled 
