came to the spot where it divided; one branch coming from the south-east, and another from the north-east. We halted here a little, and took some refreshment, in which the natives joined. Lieutenant Everard taught one of them the song named "Jolly Dick," and he appeared very apt, pronouncing every word very distinctly, except "fiddlestick," which he could make no hand of.
They appeared exceedingly quick in imitating our sounds, as they repeated very distinctly after us (and which was rather laughable), "Let us keep together in case of treachery;" "They are not to be trusted," &c.
We learned from them, that there was plenty of muga to the northward; and, supposing that there might be a lake, whence the various rivers take their rise, we determined to go in search of it, and requested them to accompany us, although we were not without suspicion, that their design was merely to draw us farther from their dwelling.
We came to a spring, when they called out, "Muga, Muga;" we drank a little, and gave them to understand that we wanted to go where there was a greater collection of it. We accordingly kept advancing: at the same time, it was observed, that they were deviating from a straight course; but a short distance brought us to a fine stream, running north-west, which we supposed emptied itself into the Swan: we still called out muga, muga, and proceeded on, until we came to their place of hunting, which, as they described to us, abounded in kangaroos.
