Balanda
plenty bread, plenty flour, plenty rice, plenty backi! Balanda very
good!"
He, Gnarrangan, and Carbaret, promised to go with us; and the first
intended to take his wife with him. They imitated with surprising
accuracy the noises of the various domesticated animals they had seen at
the settlement; and it was amusing to hear the crowing of the cock, the
cackling of the hens, the quacking of ducks, grunting of pigs, mewing of
the cat, etc. evident proofs that these natives had been in Victoria.
A heavy thunder-storm passed over at 6 o'clock P. M. and the natives
either crowded into my tent, or covered their backs with sheets of
tea-tree bark, turning them to the storm, like a herd of horses or cattle
surprised by a heavy shower in the middle of a plain. Imaru lay close to
me during the night, and, in order to keep entire possession of my
blanket, I had to allow him a tarpauling.
Dec. 11. - We travelled about seven miles N.N.W. over an immense plain,
with forest land and rising ground to the eastward, in which direction
four prominent hills were seen, one of which had the abrupt peak form of
Biroa in Moreton Bay. The plain appeared to be unbounded to the westward.
When we approached the forest, several tracts of buffaloes were seen;
and, upon the natives conducting us along a small creek which came into
the plain from the N.N.E., we found a well beaten path and several places
where these animals were accustomed to camp.
