Rain at last. Stockade erected. Named Fort Bourke. Visited by the natives. Mortality among them from smallpox. Results of the journey. Friendly disposition of a native. Boats launched. Presents to natives. They become importunate. We leave the depot and embark in the boats. Slow progress down the river. Return to the depot. Natives in canoes. Excursion with a party on horseback. A perfumed vegetable. Interview with natives. Present them with tomahawks. Unsuccessful search for Mr. Hume's marked tree. Ascend D'Urban's group. Promising view to the southward. A burnt scrub full or spinous dead boughs. A night without water. Return to the camp. The party proceeds down the Darling. Surprise a party of natives. New acacia. Mr. Hume's tree found. Fall in the Darling. Surprised by a party of natives. Emu killed by the dogs. Dunlop's range. Meet the Puppy tribe. Ascend Dunlop's range. High land discovered to the westward. Grass pulled and piled in ricks by the natives. Hills beyond the Darling. Convenient refraction. Native huts. Interview with the Red tribe. The Puppy tribe. How to avoid the sandy hills and soft plains. Macculloch's range. Visit a hill beyond the Darling. View from its summit. CHAPTER 2.6. Natives of the Spitting tribe. Singular behaviour on the discharge of a pistol. Conjectures. Second interview with the Spitting tribe. Strange ceremonial. Amusing attempts to steal, or diamond cut diamond. Dry channel of a stream. Tombs on the sandhills. White balls on tombs. Australian shamrock. Old canoe. Dry state of the country. Danger and difficulty of watching the cattle on the riverbanks. Uniform character of the Darling. The Grenadier bird. The Doctor and the natives. A range discovered by refraction. Dance of natives. A lake. Tombs of a tribe. Plan of natives' hut. Method of making cordage. The tall native's first visit. Channel of a small stream. The carts beset on the journey by very covetous natives. Mischievous signals. Cattle worn out. The tall man again. Approach of the Fishing tribe. Covetous old man. Conduct on witnessing the effect of a shot. The party obliged to halt from the weak state of the cattle. The natives very troublesome. Singular ceremonies. Ichthyophagi. Their manner of fishing. The burning brand. A tribe from the south-east. The old man appears again with a tribe from the south-west. Small streams from the west. The Darling turns southward. Resolve to return. Description of the country on the banks of the river. The men at the river obliged to fire upon the natives. Steady conduct of the party. Origin of the dispute. Narrow escape of Muirhead. Treacherous conduct of the aborigines. Melancholy reflections. CHAPTER 2.7.