stones and dry reedy swamp, all well grassed, but no water. We came
across some natives, who kept a long distance off. I sent our black up to
them, to ask in which direction Wingillpin lay. They pointed to the
course I was then steering, and said, "Five sleeps." They would not come
near to us. About three-quarters of an hour afterwards I came suddenly
upon another native, who was hunting in the sand hills. My attention
being engaged in keeping the bearing, I did not observe him until he
moved, but I pulled up at once, lest he should run away, and called to
him. What he imagined I was I do not know; but when he turned round and
saw me, I never beheld a finer picture of astonishment and fear. He was a
fine muscular fellow, about six feet in height, and stood as if riveted
to the spot, with his mouth wide open, and his eyes staring. I sent our
black forward to speak with him, but omitted to tell him to dismount. The
terrified native remained motionless, allowing our black to ride within a
few yards of him, when, in an instant, he threw down his waddies, and
jumped up into a mulga bush as high as he could, one foot being about
three feet from the ground, and the other about two feet higher, and kept
waving us off with his hand as we advanced. I expected every moment to
see the bush break with his weight. When close under the bush, I told our
black to inquire if he were a Wingillpin native. He was so frightened he
could not utter a word, and trembled from head to foot. We then asked him
where Wingillpin was. He mustered courage to let go one hand, and
emphatically snapping his fingers in a north-west direction, again waved
us off. I take this emphatic snapping of his fingers to mean a long
distance. Probably this Wingillpin may be Cooper's Creek. We then left
him, and proceeded on our way through the sand hills. About an hour
before sunset, we came in full sight of a number of tent and table-topped
hills to the north-west, the stony table land being to the south of us,
and the dip of the country still towards Lake Torrens. I shall keep a
little more to the west to-morrow if possible, to get the fall of the