Under less urgent circumstances, therefore, I should have detained Mr.Poole until the weather cleared, but our movements at this time were involved in too much uncertainty to admit of delay.

I had hoped that the morning would have cleared, but a light rain set in and continued for several days.
We had seen fewer natives on the line of the Darling than we had expected; but as we approached Williorara they were in greater numbers.
Our tents were hardly pitched at that place, when, as I have observed, we were visited by the local tribe, with their women and children, who sat down at some little distance from the drays, and contented themselves with watching our motions.

I had tea made for the ladies, of which they seemed to approve highly, and gave the youngsters two or three lumps of sugar a-piece.

The circumstance of the women and children thus venturing to us, satisfied me that no present hostile movement was contemplated by the men; but, not-withstanding that there was a seeming friendly feeling towards us, there was a suspicious manner about them, which placed me doubly on my guard, and caused me to doubt the issue of our protracted sojourn in the neighbourhood.
I had several of the natives in my tent, and with Mr.Browne's assistance questioned them closely as to the character of the country to the north west, but we could gather nothing from what they said.

They spoke of it in terror, as a region into which they did not dare to venture, and gave me dreadful accounts of the rocks and difficulties against which I should have to contend.