Volume I Part 34 (2/2)

A few days after hy with the natives, Mr

Fitzmaurice went ashore to compare the compasses From the quantity of iron contained in the rocks, it was necessary to select a spot free from their influence A sandy beach at the foot of Escape Cliffs was accordingly chosen The observations had been commenced, and were about half completed, when on the summit of the cliffs, which rose about twenty feet above their heads, suddenly appeared a large party of natives with poised and quivering spears, as if about iround, and shaking their heads to and fro, they threw out their long shaggy locks in a circle, whilst their glaring eyes flashed with fury as they cha beards They were evidently in earnest, and bent on mischief

(Footnote A custom with Australian natives when in a state of violent excitement)

DANCING FOR LIFE

It was, therefore, not a little surprising to behold this paroxyse evaporate before the happy presence of inning to dance and shout, though inpierced by a dozen spears In this he was i in the observations, and who at the ht have escaped Without, however, thinking of hi the natives; and they succeeded in diverting the in a bay near drew off their attention The fore felloho left eful scowl upon his face

Messrs Fitzround within reach of their hands; the instant, however, they ceased dancing, and attempted to touch them, a dozen spears were pointed at their breasts

Their lives hung upon a thread, and their escape arded as truly wonderful, and only to be attributed to the happy readiness hich they adapted themselves to the perils of their situation This was the lastof the natives in Ada remembered by soh, at the time, it was justly looked upon as a very serious affair, it afterwards proved a great source of , the ludicrous figure necessarily cut by our shi+pht fantastic toe; and the readers, who look at the plate representing this really serious affair, will behold twofor their lives

(Footnote See above)

RETURN OF THE BOATS

August 2

This one up the Adelaide in a general southerly direction, nearly 80 reat in so the shape of the letter S

It became at this distance very narrow, and was divided into two branches, one taking a southerly direction, the other an easterly; the latter was too narrow for the boat's oars, while the for across it As in addition to the difficulties just mentioned, only one day's provision remained in the boats, the further exploration of the Adelaide was necessarily, though reluctantly, abandoned

BANKS OF THE ADELAIDE

For thirty miles of the upper part of the river the water was fresh; while the banks, excepting near the point of separation, were low, being not more than five feet above the present level of the river, a circuation, and the cultivation of rice

Fifteen roves; and higher up many of the points were thickly wooded, while on either side stretched a vast extent of prairie country, dotted here and there with islands of timber, which served to break the native monotony of the scene Sole of bamboo, which, in places where the water was always fresh, attained the gigantic height of from 60 to 80 feet Between 20 and 70 ht-colouredwhere the bank of the river is ritty sandstone projection, the aspect of the country changes froently undulating surface, in some places stony This character continued to the furthest point reached in the boats, in latitude 12 degrees 57 rees 19 minutes East

When they had penetrated thus far into the new lands of Australia, the explorers returned, having experienced those sensations of delightful excitement, to which we have before alluded, and which naturally called forth strong eret in those ere denied a participation in the feverish enjoyhest tree at Captain Wickham's furthest point, the appearance of the country was, as far as the eye could reach, one wearisome level, broken to the southward, at a distance of ten h

UPPER PART OF THE RIVER

The river, which for some distance had not been fifty yards wide, with a rocky bed in places, and banks froh, was subject at this point to a tidal change of level of about three feet, but there was no perceptible stream, and the water which a few miles lower down had been muddy, was here quite clear Small bamboos and other drift were observed in the branches of the trees eight or ten feet above the water, showing the height which the river attains at some seasons of the year

By the hollows on many of the plains, water appeared to have lain some time, and doubtless parts of this low land were periodically overflowed

On the point dividing the upper branches of the river some coarse sand ashed up, which on exaranitic character, clearly showing the prih which the Adelaide flowed The only rocks noticed in the parts traversed by the boats were, as I have before said, of red porous sandstone The se fires was observed up the country, but none of the natives were seen

MONKEY-BIRDS

Towards the upper part of the river they noticed a strange bird, verythe ground

The colour was speckled white and brown This, doubtless, from Mr

Bynoe's description of one he wounded on the coast in the neighbourhood of the Adelaide, must have been the Leipoa ocellata of Gould, one of thebirds, first seen in Western Australia by Mr