Knowing how impossible it was to avoid being tracked by the natives, should they wish it, even upon the hardest ground, and that in the event of their doing so any buried stores would be forthwith discovered, and yet anxious to disencumber the party of any superfluous load, I directed one of the men to take the 8-pound canister of preserved meat and throw it into a thick cluster of reeds and palms, about thirty yards distant; and after taking a set of sights for longitude, recommenced our journey to half-past three P.M.in a north-east direction; passing through a lightly timbered plain, that had been evidently at no distant date exposed to the ravages of fire.

At half-past four we came to a bend of the river, trending North 56 degrees East and South 22 degrees West.

Passing several trees still on fire near the river, after another short halt, which the state of the atmosphere no less than the nature of the ground rendered desirable, we resumed our north-east course, but were compelled to make a considerable westerly detour, in order to clear the deep watercourses intersecting the banks at this place, and which, extending nearly to the base of the hills, rendered the fatigues and labours of the march additionally and needlessly heavy.
NATIVE VILLAGE.
Just before dark we came upon a native village, near the foot of a bare rocky hill, having a northern aspect, and lying about one mile south-west of the river.

It contained thirteen huts of paper-bark, standing in a bare stony plain, and with no signs of being at this time inhabited.

We found here considerable difficulty in forcing our way through the tall and thickly growing reeds which lined the bank.