342 
Captain Sturt's Expedition into the 
some low stony hills on the proper right bank of the creek, and 
on the 2nd of November we had gained more than eighty miles. 
About noon we approached a sheet of water less surrounded than 
usual by trees. The colour of the water at this place led me, as 
on a former occasion, to conclude that it was brackish, and so on 
tasting we found it to be. At about six feet from the margin 
there was a border of fine weeds. Between the two we saw 
thousands of small fish, similar to those we had taken in the little 
water-hole to the westward, swimming about, and it appeared as 
if this reservoir was held sacred by the natives. The next sheet 
of water was so strongly impregnated with brine that no animals 
could live in it. Immediately above this the water of the creek 
was sweet and good, but a great change look place in it. Large 
melaleuca for a time grew on its banks ; but at length few trees 
were to be seen. The line of hills receded to the north-east, and 
the channel of the creek split into many minor branches. There 
was one satisfactory result, however, from the discovery of the 
brackish sheet of water I have mentioned, since it was confirma¬ 
tory of the westerly fall of that part of the interior lying between 
the 139th and 142nd meridians, a point I was most anxious to 
ascertain : since there could now be no doubt whence the floods 
came, by which the plains were inundated, and the creeks filled, 
which Mr. Browne and 1 had formerly crossed. We were one 
day riding along the bed of the creek, when we saw a single 
native before us cutting young saplings, to whom we called out 
not to alarm him by our too near approach, but he heard us not. 
At length we got pretty near to him, and again called, but to no 
purpose. He took the branches he had collected, threw them 
over his shoulder, and was walking away without having observed 
us, when suddenly we crossed his path. The figure of horror 
and amazement he presented was absurd. Down dropped his 
sticks, and with outstretched arms he began to shout as loud as 
he could. I then dismounted, and telling Mr. Stuart to do the 
same, we both sat down, and by degrees the native’s fears sub¬ 
sided, and we had some conversation with him. Asking him if 
the natives had canoes, he put himself into the posture of a man 
propelling one, and made the motion. He then pointed to the 
