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           CyrusHardingandhiscompanionswalkedoverthisnewgroundwithgreatcare.Bows,arrows,andstickswithsharpironpointsweretheironlyweapons.However,nowildbeastshoweditself,anditwasprobablethattheseanimalsfrequentedratherthethickforestsinthesouth;butthesettlershadthedisagreeablesurpriseofseeingTopstopbeforeasnakeofgreatsize,measuringfromfourteentofifteenfeetinlength.Nebkilleditbyablowfromhisstick.CyrusHardingexaminedthereptile,anddeclareditnotvenomous,foritbelongedtothatspeciesofdiamondserpentswhichthenativesofNewSouthWalesrear.Butitwaspossiblethatothersexistedwhosebitewasmortalsuchasthedeafviperswithforkedtails,whichriseupunderthefeet,orthosewingedsnakes,furnishedwithtwoears,whichenablethemtoproceedwithgreatrapidity.Top,thefirstmomentofsurpriseover,beganareptilechasewithsucheagerness,thattheyfearedforhissafety.Hismastercalledhimbackdirectly.

           ThemouthoftheRedCreek,attheplacewhereitenteredintothelake,wassoonreached.TheexplorersrecognizedontheoppositeshorethepointwhichtheyhadvisitedontheirdescentfromMountFranklin.CyrusHardingascertainedthattheflowofwaterintoitfromthecreekwasconsiderable.Naturemustthereforehaveprovidedsomeplacefortheescapeoftheoverplus.Thisdoubtlessformedafall,which,ifitcouldbediscovered,wouldbeofgreatuse.

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