CHAPTER IV.
Perplexity--Trait of honesty in the natives--Excursion on horseback across the Darling--Forced to return--Desolating effects of the drought--Retreat towards the colony--Connection between the Macquarie and the Darling-- Return up the banks of the Macquarie--Starving condition of the natives.
On our return to the party, we found them surrounded by the natives, who were looking with an eye of wonder on the cattle and horses.

We pointed out to them the direction in which we were going, and invited them to visit us; and nothing appeared to astonish them so much as the management of the team by a single man.

We got back to our position early, and again fixed ourselves upon it.
It now only remained for us to consider what we should do under circumstances of certainly more than ordinary perplexity.

We had nothing to hope for from travelling in a southerly direction, while to the E.and N.E., the state of the country was worse than that by which we had penetrated to the Darling.

It was evident, that the large creeks joining the Castlereagh in that direction were dry, since the natives not only intimated this to us, but it was unquestionable that they themselves had deserted them, and had crowded to such places as still contained a supply of water.