We Never Descended A Valley Without Finding It Well
Watered, And Although The Soil And Character Of The Country Rendered
It
fit for all agricultural purposes, yet I think from its general
clearness from brush, or underwood of any kind,
That such tracts must be
peculiarly adapted for sheep-grazing; there being no shelter for native
dogs, which are so destructive and annoying in other more thickly wooded
parts of the country. In the fine valley where we pitched our tents, our
dogs had some excellent runs, and killed two large kangaroos; the
clearness of the country affording us a view of the chace from the
beginning to the end.
Some of the baggage horses, which were a mile or two behind the others,
came up to the tents, with nine natives, who had joined them on the
road: they were entirely unarmed, and there was but one mogo, or
stone hatchet, among them; we had reason to suppose that their women and
children were at no great distance, as they were observed to hide
themselves when the men were first seen. The greater part of them had
either seen or heard of white men, as they were neither alarmed nor
astonished at what they saw. I should think that the loss of the front
upper tooth is not common to every tribe, as several of these men
retained it, although others were without it; the wearing a stick, or
bone, through the cartilage of the nose, appeared common to all of them.
They remained about an hour with us: we gave them the fore-quarter of a
kangaroo, and putting our remaining pork into a bag, we distributed the
iron hoops of the keg in small pieces among them; these were received
with as much pleasure as an European would have felt at being presented
with the like quantity of gold. It was impossible distinctly to make out
anything that they wished to express, by reason of the variety of their
gestures; but their frequent pointing to the south-east (the direction
of Bathurst), induced us to believe that they thought we were going
there, a conjecture which we did all in our power to confirm. Wishing,
if possible, to learn if they knew anything of the river, a fishing hook
was given to one of them, but he did not seem to understand the use of
it until Mr. Evans drew the resemblance of a fish, and made signs that
the hook was to take it, when they immediately understood him, and
pointing to the east made signs that the fish were there; but our
endeavours to learn the distance of the river were wholly fruitless.
They appeared a harmless, inoffensive race of people, extremely cautious
of giving offence, and never touching anything until they had first by
signs obtained permission. Many of the words collected at the depot were
known to them, others were not; but ignorant as we of course were of
each other's meaning, we found it a vain task to endeavour to learn
their names of things.
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