PLAGUE OF FLIES.
December 4.

To sleep after sunrise was impossible on account of the number of flies
which kept buzzing about the face. To open our mouths was dangerous. In
they flew, and mysteriously disappeared, to be rapidly ejected again in a
violent fit of coughing; and into the eyes, when unclosed, they soon
found their way and, by inserting the proboscis and sucking, speedily
made them sore; neither were the nostrils safe from their attacks, which
were made simultaneously on all points, and in multitudes. This was a
very troublesome annoyance, but I afterwards found it to be a very
general one throughout all the unoccupied portions of Australia; although
in general the further north you go in this continent the more
intolerable does the fly nuisance become.

Sunrise offered a very beautiful spectacle; the water was quite
unruffled, but the motion communicated by the tides was so great that,
although there was not a breath of air stirring, the sea heaved slowly
with a grand and majestic motion. On two sides the view was bounded by
lofty cliffs, from three to four hundred feet high, lightly wooded at
their summits, and broken by wide openings, into which ran arms of the
sea, forming gloomy channels of communication with the interior country;
whilst on each side of their entrances the huge cliffs rose, like the
pillars of some gigantic portal.

In front of us lay a smooth sandy beach, beyond which rose gradually a
high wooded country, and behind us was the sea, studded with numerous
islands of every variety of form.

ENTRANCE TO PRINCE REGENT'S RIVER.

I was too much tired by the fatigues of the night before to enjoy the
scene with the full delight I should otherwise have done; the bruises I
had received made me feel so stiff and sore that the slightest movement
was painful; the rainy season was however now so near that it would not
do to lose a single day of preparation. Directly after breakfast
therefore, whilst one boat went off to search for fresh water and a
convenient spot to land the stores at, I accompanied the Captain of the
vessel in another up Prince Regent's River.

EFFECT OF TIDES.

In general the openings to these rivers from the sea are very narrow,
forming gorges which terminate in extensive basins, some fifteen or
twenty miles inland; the levels of these reservoirs are subject to be
raised thirty-seven feet by every tide through their funnel-like
entrances, along which the waters consequently pour with a velocity of
which it is difficult to form any adequate idea. By such a tide were we
swept along as we entered this river by its southern mouth.

On each side of us rose lofty red sandstone cliffs; sometimes quite
precipitous, sometimes, from ancient landslips, shelving gradually down
to the water, and at these points covered with a dense tropical
vegetation.

GREEN ANTS.

At several such places we landed, but always found the ascent to the
interior so covered with large loose rocks that it would have been
impossible to have disembarked stores or stock on any. The thickness of
the vegetation made it difficult to force a way through, and whenever, in
attempting so to do, a tree was shaken, numbers of a large green sort of
ant fell from the boughs on the unhappy trespasser and, making the best
of their way to the back of his neck, gave warning by a series of most
painful bites that he was encroaching on their domain. Yet it was
sometimes ludicrous to see one of the party momentarily stamping and
roaring with pain, as he cried out to a companion to hasten and assist
him in getting rid of an enemy at once so diminutive and so troublesome.

PARRAKEETS.

We saw a great number of beautiful parakeets, as well as a remarkable
hawk of a bright cinnamon colour, with a milk-white head and neck. As
there was no apparent probability of our finding hereabouts a spot suited
to land our stock and stores at we returned in the afternoon to the
schooner, and found that the party in the other boat had been as
unsuccessful as ourselves.

DESCRIPTION OF LANDING-PLACE, AND ENCAMPMENT AT HANOVER BAY.

December 5.

The long-boat was this morning despatched to the ravine where we had
procured water on the first day of our landing to bring a few casks for
immediate use, and to examine the country again in that direction; whilst
I accompanied the Captain to examine the inlet at which Captain King had
watered in his visit to these parts, in 1821.

WATERING PLACE AT HANOVER BAY.

The approach to this watering-place was through a deep narrow channel,
bounded on each side by high cliffs, against which our voices echoed and
sounded strangely; whilst from the quantity of light which the cliffs
excluded a solemn sombre hue was imparted to the scene. Channels similar
to the main one branched off on each side; they were however so narrow
that the dense vegetation which grew on their sides nearly met in the
centre, giving them an appearance of dark and refreshing coolness; most
of these terminated in cascades, now dry, but down which the water in the
rainy seasons pours in torrents: at the foot of some of these cascades
were deep cavities, or natural basins, worn in the solid rock by the
falling of the water, and these were still full of the clearest cool
water, in which sported small insects and animals of kinds quite unknown
to me.

As we were swept up the main opening by the tide and sea-breeze its width
gradually contracted, till at last we came to a small island bearing a
single large mangrove tree, which we named One Tree Island. The shores
now became thickly wooded with mangroves, from the boughs of which
depended in clusters small but well-flavoured oysters, and soon after
passing the island we found our farther progress arrested by large
rounded blocks of sandstone, from amongst which fresh water came pouring
in a hundred little cascades.

BEAUTIFUL RAVINE.

We here quitted the boat to enter a deep and picturesque ravine, of which
the mean breadth was only one hundred and forty-seven feet, bounded on
each side by perpendicular cliffs from one hundred and fifty to two
hundred feet high; in the centre ran a clear stream, sometimes forming
deep and extensive pools, sometimes divided into innumerable little rills
which gurgled along through a dense and matted vegetation; and bordered
on each side of the main bed by a lofty species of Eucalyptus, with a
bark resembling layers of coarse white paper, and a foliage pendant and
graceful; whilst the great height of these trees for they raised their
heads above the cliffs, contrasted strangely with the narrowness of the
ravine in which they grew. The space between these trees and the cliffs
was filled by a dense forest, principally composed of the Pandanus and
wild nutmeg trees. Rich grasses and climbing plants occupied the interval
and twined around the trees, whilst parakeets of the most vivid colours
filled the wood with their cries. Nothing could be more striking than
this singular and novel scene; and we were all delighted as we wound our
way up the beautiful ravine.

The same character continued for the next mile or two, whilst
occasionally branch valleys of similar character ran off from a main one,
giving it at these points a much greater width. The summit of the cliffs
was found to be generally a rocky sandy tableland, thinly wooded; and
from what I had seen it appeared to me that I was not likely to find a
place better adapted for landing the stores than the main ravine.

On embarking to return we could perceive no sign of One Tree Island; and
as we swept down towards the sea the leafy top of a tree seen in the
clear water under the boat was the only evidence of its existence; though
a few hours ago it had formed so prominent an object.

FATE OF TWO OF THE DOGS.

The long-boat returned to the vessel half an hour after us and brought
eighty gallons of water; but the spot whence it was obtained had been
found very inconvenient for the purpose. At the waterhole they had met
Ranger, the dog we lost the first day; but he appeared quite mad, and
without recognising any of them ran wildly away into the woods. The body
of poor Ringhalz was also found, who had died on the spot where he fell.

LABOUR OF DISEMBARKING STORES.

December 6.

A party landed with me soon after dawn at the same point as yesterday,
for the purpose of selecting the spot at which to fix our temporary
encampment. We traced the valley for about four miles through scenery
precisely similar to that which we had found before; many branch valleys
ran of from the main one and differed from it in no other respect but
that they were much narrower. The most favourable spot I could find for
our purpose was distant about half a mile from the landing-place and
situated at the junction of two valleys, upon a neck of land which ran
out from the base of the cliffs. This was the nearest point to the sea at
which we should have been safe from any sudden inundation; it combined,
moreover, the advantages of affording a good supply of food and water for
the stock, of not being within reach of missiles thrown from the cliffs,
and at the same time of being situated close to an easy ascent to their
summit. I should have preferred pitching the encampment on the tableland
at the top, but the labour of carrying the stores up so precipitous an
ascent would have been too great for the men, and would have delayed our
movements for a longer time than I thought prudent.

PREPARATIONS FOR ENCAMPING.

Having selected the point for our encampment the next task was to form a
pathway to and from the landing-place; and this, on account of the rocky,
broken nature of the ground, was one of no slight difficulty. We first
set fire to the bush, and being thus enabled to see our way a little we
commenced moving the rocks and stones, and continued this operation until
near sunset, when we returned on board.

NATIVES SEEN.

December 7.

We landed again early this morning and went on working at the pathway.
The men dined on shore at noon, about which time it was nearly low-water.
We had repeatedly seen footmarks of the natives in the mud, and this
probably was a favourite fishing resort of theirs, for this day they came
upon the cliffs over our heads and shouted at us, as if to try and
frighten us away. Finding however that this produced no effect, they
threw down some large stones at us and then decamped.

In the course of the night (2 A.M.) we had one of those sudden heavy
squalls from off the land which are so common on this coast. I slept on
deck and was called to hear a loud roaring on the shore: this was
evidently the noise of a rushing wind, which gradually drew nearer and
nearer and at last reached us, accompanied by lightning, thunder, and
heavy rain; it did not however last for more than twenty minutes, and we
received no damage from it.

December 8.

Whilst the party continued the pathway I landed on the sandy beach and
explored the interior of the country for several miles. We found but very
little fresh water and the country was dreadfully burnt up; the heavy
rain which had fallen last night however gave signs of the approach of
the wet season. We passed several dry watercourses, in many of which we
dug for it, but all that we obtained was brackish. We had another squall
this afternoon, similar to last night's.

LANDING STOCK. LABOUR IN LANDING STORES.

December 9.

This day we pitched the tents, disembarked the sheep and goats, and some
of the stores. It was no slight pleasure to see for the first time those
animals landed on a new country, and they appeared themselves to rejoice
in their escape from the close confinement on shipboard.

We here first hoisted the British flag, and went through the ceremony of
taking possession of the territory in the name of Her Majesty and her
heirs for ever.

The next few days were passed in moving the stores from the landing-place
to the tent; as it was necessary that before I allowed the schooner to
start we should be amply provided with all necessaries so as to be able
to maintain ourselves for some time, in the event of anything happening
to the vessel: this was very fatiguing work for the whole party but they
all exerted themselves with the most strenuous energy, especially Mr.
Lushington; and our labours were varied by several amusing novelties
which relieved the monotony of the employment.

REMARKABLE FISHES.

Sometimes as we sat at our dinner near the landing-place we watched a
strange species of fish (genus Chironectes, Cuvier). These little animals
are provided with arms, at least with members shaped like such as far as
the elbow, but the lower part resembles a fin; they are amphibious,
living equally well on the mud or in the water; in moving in the mud they
walk, as it were, on their elbows, and the lower arm or fin then projects
like a great splay foot; but in swimming the whole of this apparatus is
used as a fin. They have also the property of being able to bury
themselves almost instantaneously in the soft mud when disturbed. The
uncouth gambols and leaps of these anomalous creatures were very
singular.

Another remarkable fish was a species of mullet which, being left by the
retreat of the high tides in the pools beyond the rounded rocks at the
head of the landing-place, was obliged to change its element from salt to
fresh water, which by a very remarkable habit it appeared to do without
suffering any inconvenience. The natural hue of this fish was a very pale
red, but when they had been for some time in the fresh water this reddish
tinge became much deeper, and when of this colour I have found them in
streams a considerable distance from the sea, as if, like our salmon,
they had quitted it for the purpose of spawning. Indeed birds, insects,
and all things we saw, were so new and singular that our attention was
kept constantly excited by the varied objects which passed before us.

December 11.

I went on board in the morning for the purpose of preparing my letters,
and about 10 A.M. it was reported to me that a party of natives had come
down to one of the sandy beaches and were fishing there. I immediately
went upon deck and saw four natives in the sea opposite to the beach,
running about and fishing. Captain Browne went on shore at once with me
to try and parley with them, but as we approached the land they ran away;
we remained for some time on the beach and tried to follow their tracks
up into the country, but could see nothing more of them.

This night at 8 P.M. we had another sudden squall from off the land,
accompanied with thunder, lightning, and heavy rain; it blew so hard that
we were obliged to let go the best bower anchor, but as usual it only
lasted twenty minutes.

PREPARATIONS FOR SENDING THE VESSEL TO TIMOR.

As Mr. Lushington was to accompany the schooner to Timor, and I was
anxious to ascertain which would be the best direction for us to move off
in on his return, I determined to commence my exploring trips as soon as
possible. All hands still continued busily engaged in landing the stores
and conveying them to the tents; but though the men worked hard our
progress was slow. Everything had to be carried on the men's shoulders,
for the path, after the great trouble and labour we had bestowed on it,
was still so intricate and rocky that it was impossible to use even a
hand-barrow. The intense heat of the sun, too, incommoded the men very
much at first; but by the 16th of December all the stores were landed,
and a considerable supply of water was taken off to the vessel. I
determined therefore now to start in my first exploring excursion,
leaving to Mr. Lushington the task of seeing the watering of the schooner
completed before he left for Timor.


CHAPTER 6. HANOVER BAY AND ITS VICINITY.

NATIVES SEEN.

Sunday December 17.

This morning directly after breakfast I read prayers to the men, and then
commenced my preparations for the excursion on which I intended to start
in the evening. Whilst I was occupied in arranging my papers Mr.
Lushington observed two natives sitting on the rocks on the top of the
cliffs which overlooked the valley, and gazing down intently on us. The
instant that he made friendly signs to them they rose from their seats
and began to retreat. Some of the party then called to them and one of
the natives answered; but they still moved rapidly away. I would not
allow them to be followed for fear of increasing their alarm, and in the
hope that they would return, but was disappointed. It must have awakened
strange feelings in the breast of these two savages, who could never
before have seen civilized man, thus to have sat spectators and
overlookers of the every action of such incomprehensible beings as we
must have appeared; and the relation to their comrades of the wonders
they had witnessed could not have been to them a whit less marvellous
than the tales of the grey-headed Irish peasant, when he recounts the
freaks of the fairies, "whose midnight revels by the forest side or
fountain" he has watched intently from some shrub-clad hill.

COMMENCEMENT OF FIRST EXCURSION.

I started in the evening, accompanied by Corporal John Coles and Private
R. Mustard, both of the corps of Royal Sappers and Miners, and for a
short distance by two or three others of the party from the camp. We
moved up the ravine in which we were encamped in a nearly due south
direction, and after following this course about a mile turned up a
branch ravine to the left, bearing 87 degrees from the north.

CHARACTER OF THE SCENERY. GEOLOGICAL PHENOMENA.

The romantic scenery of this narrow glen could not be surpassed. Its
width at bottom was not more than forty or fifty feet, on each side rose
cliffs of sandstone between three and four hundred feet high and nearly
perpendicular; lofty paper-bark trees grew here and there, and down the
middle ran a beautiful stream of clear, cool water, which now gushed
along, a murmuring mountain torrent, and anon formed a series of small
cascades. As we ascended higher the width contracted; the paper-bark
trees disappeared; and the bottom of the valley became thickly wooded
with wild nutmeg and other fragrant trees. Cockatoos soared, with hoarse
screams, above us, many-coloured parakeets darted away, filling the woods
with their playful cries, and the large white pigeons which feed on the
wild nutmegs cooed loudly to their mates, and battered the boughs with
their wings as they flew away.

The spot I chose to halt at for the night was at the foot of a lofty
precipice of rocks, from which a spring gushed forth. Those who had
accompanied us from the camp now returned, leaving me and the two
soldiers alone and about to penetrate some distance into an utterly
unknown country. We were each provided with ten days' provisions and,
confident in the steadiness and courage of my men, I had not the
slightest anxiety--feeling that as long as we maintained a cool and
determined bearing the natives would make no attacks upon us that we
could not repel.

We soon erected a little hut of bark, then kindled a fire and cooked our
supper, consisting of tea and two white pigeons which we had shot; and by
the time our repast was finished it was nearly dark. My companions laid
down to sleep: I remained up for a short time to think alone in the
wilderness, and then followed their example.

ASCENT OF A GLEN.

December 18.

At break of day we were again upon our route, which lay up the valley we
had slept in; but, as each of us carried ten days' provisions and a day's
water, besides our arms, the progress we made in a tropical climate, when
thus laden, was necessarily slow and laborious; but the beauty of the
landscape and the solicitude we all felt to see more of this unexplored
land cheered us on.

TABLELAND AT THE SUMMIT.

Having at length reached the tableland which this valley drained we found
ourselves in the midst of a forest, differing widely from anything we had
before seen. The soil beneath our feet was sandy and thickly clothed with
spinifex (a prickly grass) which in spite of our thick trousers slightly
but continually wounded our legs. The trees were lofty and some of them
of considerable circumference; but the trunks of all were charred and
blackened by constant fires: this circumstance, and their slight and
thin, yet strikingly graceful foliage, gave them a most picturesque
appearance.

Every here and there in the wood rose lofty and isolated pinnacles of
sandstone rock, fantastic in form, and frequently overgrown with graceful
creeping and climbing plants which imparted to them a somewhat of mystery
and elegance. In other parts rose the gigantic ant-hills so much spoken
of by former visitors of these shores; and in the distance we saw
occasionally the forms of the timid kangaroos, who stole fearfully away
from the unknown disturbers of their solitude.

ANOTHER VALLEY.

But when we arrived at the extremity of the tableland I felt somewhat
disappointed at beholding a deep narrow ravine at my feet, precisely
resembling in character the one we had left, and beyond this a second
sandstone range, wooded as that on which we stood; in about half an hour
we gained the bottom of the ravine and found that a rapid stream ran
through it, which, being the first we had discovered, I named the
Lushington, after the father of my associate in this expedition, and in
accordance with a determination I had made before starting.

Mustard (one of the men with me) being ill, I determined to halt here for
breakfast and, having completed this meal, I was sorry to find that he
was still too unwell to proceed; such however being the case I was
compelled to halt for the day: leaving Coles therefore to take care of
him, I strolled off to explore the valley alone. Except in being much
larger it differed in no respect from the first in which we encamped, and
I found that within about half a mile below the spot where I had left the
men it terminated in a salt-water inlet, nearly choked up with mangroves.
On returning to them I found Mustard somewhat better; to our annoyance
however heavy rain set in, accompanied by thunder and lightning; and as
we had no shelter but what some overhanging rocks afforded us we passed a
very uncomfortable night.

December 19.

Mustard was still not quite well; we therefore started late and travelled
slowly, keeping nearly in a south-east direction. We thus gradually
ascended the second sandstone range, the summit of which was a tableland,
at this point about half a mile wide.

GEOLOGICAL PHENOMENA.

We here remarked a very curious circumstance. Several acres of land on
this elevated position were nearly covered with lofty isolated sandstone
pillars of the most grotesque and fantastic shapes, from which the
imagination might easily have pictured to itself forms equally singular
and amusing. In one place was a regular unroofed aisle, with a row of
massive pillars on each side; and in another there stood upon a pedestal
what appeared to be the legs of an ancient statue, from which the body
had been knocked away.

Some of these time-worn columns were covered with sweet-smelling
creepers, while their bases were concealed by a dense vegetation, which
added much to their very singular appearance. The height of two or three
which I measured was upwards of forty feet; and, as the tops of all of
them were nearly upon the same level, that of the surrounding country
must at one period have been as high as their present summits, probably
much higher.

From the top of one of these pillars I surveyed the surrounding country
and saw on every side proofs of the same extensive degradation--so
extensive, indeed, that I found it very difficult to account for; but the
gurgling of water, which I heard beneath me, soon put an end to the state
of perplexity in which I was involved, for I ascertained that streams
were running in the earth beneath my feet; and, on descending and
creeping into a fissure in the rocks, I found beneath the surface a
cavern precisely resembling the remains that existed above ground, only
that this was roofed, whilst through it ran a small stream which in the
rainy season must become a perfect torrent. It was now evident to me that
ere many years had elapsed the roof would give way, and what now were the
buttresses of dark and gloomy caverns would emerge into day and become
columns clad in green, and resplendent in the bright sunshine.

GRADUAL DEGRADATION OF THE LAND.

In this state they would gradually waste away beneath the ever-during
influence of atmospheric causes, and the material being then carried down
by the streams, through a series of caverns resembling those of which
they once formed a portion, would be swept out into the ocean and
deposited on sandbanks, to be raised again, at some remote epoch, a new
continent, built up with the ruins of an ancient world.

I subsequently, during the season of the heavy rains, remarked the usual
character of the mountain streams to be that they rose at the foot of
some little elevation which stood upon a lofty tableland composed of
sandstone, then flowed in a sandy bed for a short distance and afterwards
mysteriously sank in the cracks and crevices made in the rocks from
atmospheric influences, and did not again reappear until they had reached
the foot of the precipice which terminated the tableland whence they
sprang; here they came foaming out in a rapid stream which had
undoubtedly worked strange havoc in the porous sandstone rocks among
which it held its subterraneous course.

What the amount of sand annually carried down from the north-western
portion of Australia into the ocean may be we have no means whatever of
ascertaining; that it is sufficient to form beds of sand of very great
magnitude is attested by the existence of numerous and extensive
sandbanks all along the coast. One single heavy tropical shower of only a
few hours' duration washed down, over a plot of ground which was planted
with barley, a bed of sand nearly five inches deep, which the succeeding
showers again swept off, carrying it further upon its way towards the
sea.

The space of ground covered with these columns gradually contracted its
dimensions as we proceeded; the columns themselves became nearer and
nearer to each other until they at length formed walls of cliffs on each
side of us, and we finally reached a point where a single lofty pillar,
standing in front of a dry cascade, formed the centre of an amphitheatre
of sandstone. There was some water in a little natural basin at the base
of the cliffs. I determined therefore to halt here for breakfast and,
leaving the men at the foot of the cascade to prepare some tea, I
clambered to its summit, and found myself on another tableland similar to
that which I had just left, and covered in the same manner with natural
columns.

SANDSTONE CAVERNS.

Some distance from the top of the cascade I discovered a cavern, or
rather huge hole in the water-course, into which, thinking it might
contain fossil bones, I descended as far as the first ledge, and I then
perceived that the water pouring through this cavern in the rainy season
was cutting off another rock of sandstone similar to the remarkable
pillar in front of the cascade. The water in the basin below must have
filtered out from this cavern. On a further examination I found that a
precisely similar series of operations was going on throughout the whole
amphitheatre of cliffs which bounded the tableland we had been traversing
during the morning.

In the rainy season (March 7th) I again passed this spot and found the
watercourse full of water, which was also falling abundantly from the
cascade. From this circumstance I inferred that the subterraneous outlets
for the water were all filled, consequently the large body which these
caverns would contain must have been then endeavouring to force its way
through the fissures in the porous sandstone rocks.

CONTINUATION OF ROUTE. HALT IN A VALLEY.

After breakfast we continued on our route through a sandstone country
precisely resembling the one which I have now described, and in the
course of the day, having completed fifteen miles in a straight line, we
halted for the night in a fertile valley affording plenty of fresh water,
and so densely wooded with the dwarf pandanus and other prickly trees
that we could scarcely make our way through the underwood. In this valley
we saw several sorts of cranes, principally Ardea antigone, and Ardea
scolopacia, and I shot one of the former kind and laid it by, intending
to eat it in the morning. We could not find any holes in the rocks large
enough to protect us from the rain, which fell throughout the night,
accompanied by thunder and lightning.

December 20.

Just as we turned out this morning a large kangaroo came close to us to
drink at a waterhole; the effect as it stole along through the thick
bushes in the morning twilight was very striking. I could not succeed in
getting a shot at it; but, as I was determined to have a meat breakfast,
I desired Mustard to cook the crane, the rats however had eaten the
greater part of it; we therefore at once moved on and, after travelling
four miles in a south-east direction over good land, we reached a valley,
the largest and best I had yet seen, containing trees and birds such as
we had not before met with; kangaroos were more plentiful, and, for the
first time, we saw the opossum. The valley was more than a mile in width
at the point where we first made it, and we had but just time to cross it
and to gain the partial shelter of some rocks when heavy rain again set
in. We could keep no fire and, being soon wet through, passed a wretched
night.

December 21.

We all today began to feel the want of food; since Sunday night we had
subsisted on nothing but rice and tea, and only in very small quantities
at a time, as the heavy rain had materially interrupted our cooking. As
there was plenty of game in this valley I determined to halt for a day
previously to my return to the party, for the double purpose of exploring
the valley and of shooting game.

CUCKOO-PHEASANT.

The large bird which was the most abundant here was the Cuculus phasianus
or pheasant cuckoo. This bird in colour, in length of tail, in its size,
and general appearance so closely resembles the hen pheasant of England
that, when it is on the wing, it is almost impossible to tell the
difference; its habits and food are also identical with that of the
English pheasant. The chief point of distinction is that its toes point
two before and two behind, in the same manner as those of a parrot; but
what is very remarkable about this bird is that, although, like the other
Scansores, it delights in climbing and running up trees, it is equally
fond of running along the ground in the manner a pheasant does.

SPORTING.

This day I found plenty of these birds in a cover of long dry grass and
bushes about half my height. From this kind of ground I descended to deep
lagoons in the bottoms, with rushes, reeds, and dense tropical vegetation
around them, amongst which the bamboo and pandanus bore a conspicuous
figure; as I beat this cover the pheasants, with their whirring noise,
rose on all sides of me, and my Westley Richards was kept in constant
operation. I never enjoyed a better day's pheasant shooting in any
preserve in England; and I may here remark that North-Western Australia
is as good a country for sport in the shooting way as I am acquainted
with; whilst for every kind of sport except wild-fowl shooting the
southern part of Australia is the worst country in the world. My bag
being full, and my companions very hungry, I had no excuse for staying
longer away from them, and therefore returned, although very loth to
leave such beautiful scenery and such excellent sport.

FERTILE COUNTRY DESCRIED.

In the interval between the showers, and whilst the men were trying to
kindle a fire, I ascended a sandstone range under the shelter of some
rocks near the summit of which we were encamped; from this elevated
position I saw a far better country to the south of us than any we had
yet traversed; and the prospect was so cheering in this direction that I
felt assured, when it was once gained with the horses, we should be able
to travel on with comparative rapidity and facility.

NATIVE HAUNTS.

Having emptied my bag I started again to commence the exploration of the
valley we were in. It sloped first in a north-easterly and then in a
nearly easterly direction; the river that ran through it was in some
places almost dry, or was rather a chain of large ponds than a river,
several of these ponds being more than a hundred yards across. I followed
the valley down for about five miles in the direction of Prince Regent's
River and found to my surprise that this part was by no means thinly
inhabited by natives; still, as none of the traces I had yet seen were
very recent, I trusted that we should not fall in with any considerable
body.

TRACES OF NATIVES.

At length however I came upon a spot which a number of them appeared to
have quitted only an hour or two before, and where they had been sitting
under a large tree at the edge of one of these ponds; their recent fire
had been first slaked with water and sand then thrown over it. I knew
therefore that they had been disturbed, and most probably by my gun; but
not before they had made a hearty meal of roasted fresh-water mussels
(unios) and nuts of a kind which grew on a large shady tree in pods, like
a tamarind pod, the kernel being contained in a shell, of which each pod
held several, and the fruit tasting exactly like filberts. The spot was
admirably suited for their purpose; their bark beds were placed under the
shelter of this tree and only a few yards distant from the pond, which
contained abundance of large unios.

ATTACK OF NATIVES.

I sat down under the nut tree to consider what was my best plan to adopt.
From the signs around us the natives were evidently much more numerous
than I had expected: in the event of anything happening to one of the
three our return to the main party might be considerably impeded, if not
altogether prevented; and although, from the superiority of our weapons
over theirs, I entertained but little doubt as to the issue of any
contest we might be forced into, the calls of humanity as well is of
personal interest warned me to do my utmost to avoid an affray.

RETURN TOWARDS HANOVER BAY.

I returned therefore to the party and, having made our dinner from
pheasant soup and birds which had been first split in two and then nicely
roasted on the ashes, we commenced our journey homewards, cautiously and
circumspectly, that we might run no risk of being surprised. Until the
evening began to close upon us we pursued our route through scenery
similar to that we had passed the day before, our course laying several
miles to the northward of our former track; and when we halted for the
night I carefully chose a good position and, mentioning my apprehensions
concerning the natives to the men in such a way as to put them on their
guard without exciting their alarm, we bivouacked for the night. Soon
after sunset the thunderstorms of the previous evening were renewed,
accompanied by tremendous rain. This was unfortunate as it rendered it
nearly impossible for us to keep our arms in an efficient state.

December 22.

After passing a wretched and uncomfortable night we started before dawn,
pursuing a direction about west by north, and passed one of the openings
from Prince Regent's River laid down in Captain King's chart, and there
left without a termination, which I had thus an opportunity of fixing.
Having completed about six miles I halted for breakfast. No signs
whatever of the natives had been again seen; this restored my confidence
and, as the sun was intensely hot and we were much fatigued, we lay about
in rather a careless and imprudent way. Fortunately the gathering clouds
prognosticated that we should soon have rain; and, as we could get no
good shelter where we were, I ordered the men to move on: we had just
gained the top of the range when a violent storm of rain overtook us, I
therefore doubled back about a hundred yards to the left of our former
track to gain some rocks forming a portion of a detached group upon a
tableland, and which I had observed as we passed them.

ATTACKED BY NATIVES.

Scarcely had we reached these rocks, and sheltered ourselves under the
overhanging projections, when I saw a savage advancing with a spear in
his right hand, and a bundle of similar weapons in his left; he was
followed by a party of thirteen others, and with them was a small dog not
of the kind common to this country. The men were curiously painted for
war, red being the predominant colour, and each man carried several
spears, a rowing stick, and a club. Their chief was in front, and
distinguished by his hair being of a dark red colour from some
composition with which it was smeared; the others followed him close,
noiselessly, and with stealthy pace, one by one, whilst he, crouching
almost to the earth, pricked off our trail.

We remained concealed and motionless until they had all passed, but the
moment they came to where we had turned off they discovered our retreat,
and raised loud shouts of triumph, as, forming themselves into a
semicircle, they advanced upon us, brandishing their spears and bounding
from rock to rock. It was in vain that I made friendly signs and
gestures, they still closed upon us, and to my surprise I heard their
war-cry answered by a party who were coming over the high rocks in our