that direction was therefore quite out of the question. (See Plate 7.)

NATIVE FEMALE.

As we descended, we came suddenly on an old woman who, as soon as she saw
us, ran off in terror. I ordered the two men who accompanied me to keep
back, until Mr. Brown could overtake and tell her that we intended no
harm; and she was easily persuaded, after a brief conversation with our
guide, to allow us to come near. She presented a most humiliating
specimen of our race: a figure shortened and shrivelled with age,
entirely without clothing, one eye alone saw through the dim decay of
nature, several large fleshy excrescences projected from the side of her
head like so many ears and the jawbone was visible through a gash or scar
on one side of her chin. The withered arms and hands, covered with earth
by digging and scraping for the snakes and worms on which she fed, more
resembled the limbs and claws of a quadruped. She spoke with a low nasal
whine, prolonged at the end of each sentence; and this our guide imitated
in speaking to her. The mosquitoes tormented her much, as appeared from
her incessantly slapping her limbs and body. Mr. Brown's conversation
seemed animated on some subject, but not, as I at last suspected, on that
most important to us; for, when I enquired, after he had spoken a long
time, what she said of The Barber and the way across the mountains, he
was obliged to commence a set of queries, evidently for the first time.
She said horses might pass, pointing at the same time further to the
eastward--but our guide seemed unwilling to put further questions, saying
she had promised to send at sunset to our tents two young boys, who could
inform us better. Even in such a wretched state of existence, ornaments
had their charms with this female, though the decency of covering was
wholly disregarded. Around her brow she had kangaroo teeth fastened to
the few remaining hairs, and a knot of brown feathers decorated her right