I returned therefore to the party and, having made our dinner from pheasant soup and birds which had been first split in two and then nicely roasted on the ashes, we commenced our journey homewards, cautiously and circumspectly, that we might run no risk of being surprised. Until the evening began to close upon us we pursued our route through scenery similar to that we had passed the day before, our course laying several miles to the northward of our former track; and when we halted for the night I carefully chose a good position and, mentioning my apprehensions concerning the natives to the men in such a way as to put them on their guard without exciting their alarm, we bivouacked for the night. Soon after sunset the thunderstorms of the previous evening were renewed, accompanied by tremendous rain. This was unfortunate as it rendered it nearly impossible for us to keep our arms in an efficient state. December 22. After passing a wretched and uncomfortable night we started before dawn, pursuing a direction about west by north, and passed one of the openings from Prince Regent's River laid down in Captain King's chart, and there left without a termination, which I had thus an opportunity of fixing. Having completed about six miles I halted for breakfast. No signs whatever of the natives had been again seen; this restored my confidence and, as the sun was intensely hot and we were much fatigued, we lay about in rather a careless and imprudent way. Fortunately the gathering clouds prognosticated that we should soon have rain; and, as we could get no good shelter where we were, I ordered the men to move on: we had just gained the top of the range when a violent storm of rain overtook us, I therefore doubled back about a hundred yards to the left of our former track to gain some rocks forming a portion of a detached group upon a tableland, and which I had observed as we passed them. ATTACKED BY NATIVES. Scarcely had we reached these rocks, and sheltered ourselves under the overhanging projections, when I saw a savage advancing with a spear in his right hand, and a bundle of similar weapons in his left; he was followed by a party of thirteen others, and with them was a small dog not of the kind common to this country. The men were curiously painted for war, red being the predominant colour, and each man carried several spears, a rowing stick, and a club. Their chief was in front, and distinguished by his hair being of a dark red colour from some composition with which it was smeared; the others followed him close, noiselessly, and with stealthy pace, one by one, whilst he, crouching almost to the earth, pricked off our trail.