and I was obliged to go on with my exploration: I continued to trace up
the creek, which I found to be large and lined with gum-trees for many
miles among rocky and precipitous hills, but altogether without water,
and as I knew of none of this requisite, of a permanent character, behind
me, I determined to retrace my steps again to Mount Deception range. In
doing so, I had to pass near the place from whence the natives had taken
flight, and from curiosity called to see if the children had been taken
away; to my surprise and regret I found them still remaining, they had
been left by their unnatural or terrified parents without food, and
exposed to the inclemency of a cold winter's night; the fire had gone
out, and the eldest of the children had scraped a hole among the ashes in
which both were lying. They were alarmed when they saw me, and would take
nothing I offered them. The child around whom I had tied the
handkerchief, had managed to get it off and throw it to one side. I now
scarcely knew what to do, as I was fearful if I left them there, and the
parents did not return, the poor little children might perish, and yet I
was so far away from my own party, and in such difficult circumstances,
that I knew not how I could take them with me. Upon due reflection, and
considering that I had not seen a single male native, it struck me that
the women might have gone for the men and would probably return by the
evening to see where their little ones were.

Under this impression, I put the handkerchief again round the eldest
child, and tying it firmly, I left them; I had hopes too, that some of
the natives were watching our movements from the hills, and in this case
they would at once return, when they saw us fairly depart from the
neighbourhood.

Keeping a little to the south of west, I still found the country very
much broken into hollows, with high steep banks bounding them, this