of the finest description; and through the gap lay my destined line of
route, to the north-west, river or no river. Just then, however, we
wanted water, but on following a little channel about a mile downwards,
we found in it a spacious pond, and encamped. I rode three miles further
down this channel, which there turned SOUTHWARD, so that I despaired of
my newly discovered river Amby being of any further utility now; but I
was almost convinced that it would have brought me into this very
country, had I come round by Fort Bourke. Latitude 26° 17' 8" S.
Thermometer, at sunrise, 35°; at 4 P. M., 80°; at 7 P. M., 71°; at 9,
48°. Height above the sea, 1150 feet.

15TH MAY.--My servant Brown drew my attention, early this morning, to
natives occasionally peeping at us from a hill overlooking our camp. Some
time after, I perceived a figure resembling a large black quadruped, with
head erect like a lion, prowling about, amongst the long grass beside my
after breakfast tree. Taking my glass, I recognized the identical big
savage of yesterday.

Hamlet might here have exclaimed--

"What a piece of work is man! ... ..... how infinite in faculties! In
form and action how like a QUADRUPED! In apprehension, how like a DEVIL!"

There the fate of Mr. Darke[*] doubtless awaited me; and this was to be
the result of my spontaneous gift of a tomahawk to the old man! This
savage had evidently been watching us all night, and his party were
concealed behind the hill. Our only remaining little dog, Procyon, had
been very restless during the night, when these people were, probably,
drinking at the pond near us. My rifle (fortunately I now think) was in
the case, but I fired a carbine so that the fellow should hear the bullet