Notwithstanding these various discouraging circumstances I still however felt warm hopes for his ultimate safety. He was well acquainted with the bush, having been ten years in the colony; and the same articles of food which formed the subsistence of the natives would at least enable him to maintain life for a considerable period. He had moreover with him two horses, which past experience had taught me not only to be a nutritious, but even an agreeable article of food. I imagined therefore that no immediate danger of starvation need be apprehended; and in order that I might have the best possible chance of finding his traces three intelligent natives, Miago, Denmar, and Ninda, were engaged to accompany me. On the morning of the 9th however, when the party were all ready to start, these natives were not forthcoming. The length of the journey and the danger of falling in with hostile tribes had frightened them, and they therefore kept themselves aloof from us; but Kaiber, one of the most intelligent natives of these parts, volunteered to supply their place. Our three horses were soon swum across the estuary of the Swan; and with no slight anxiety I started on an expedition upon the proper conduct of which would probably depend the lives of three of my fellow-creatures. ROUTE TO THE MURRAY. Our proceedings until we had reached Pinjarra on the banks of the Murray offer little or no interesting matter; I shall therefore pass them over in silence. We arrived in Pinjarra on the morning of the 11th, having been somewhat delayed by the weakness of a young horse; as there was however no possibility of obtaining another in its place I was obliged to take it on with us. On the afternoon of the 11th we made little more than four miles in a southerly direction along the banks of the Murray. THE MURRAY RIVER. On the 12th we started before dawn and travelled about eight miles in a south by east direction; we then halted for breakfast on the banks of the same river, which here issues out of the Darling Range after having found a passage through that chain of mountains. Whilst breakfast was preparing I walked up into the mouth of the gorge, which was replete with most wild and beautiful scenery at this point. The river comes streaming out from a rocky mountain pass, forming in its course a series of small cataracts. The vale in which it runs offers an interesting specimen of woodland scenery, and the high, bold, and partially bare granite mountains which rear their heads above it differ much in character from the tame mountain scenery that lies between Perth and York: this place is a favourite resort of the wild cattle, and we saw everywhere numerous recent traces of them. WILD CATTLE.