we should have no means of obtaining provisions. Had not the
bushrangers carried off so much of our powder, we might have remained
another month or two.

The boat was loaded without delay. Our last act was to collect all the
vegetables fit for use in the garden, that we might have a supply of
green food--at all events, for the first few days of our journey. Not
without regret did we bid farewell to the spot which had afforded us
shelter for so many weeks.

"Shove off," said my father, as he seated himself at the helm, with my
mother and Edith by his side, while the faithful Nanny crouched at my
sister's feet; and giving way, we commenced our voyage up the river. We
took a look through an opening in the trees in the direction of the
whale, round which the natives were still collected in vast numbers; and
thankful were we to get away from them, for we had no doubt that as soon
as they had eaten up the monster they would become troublesome. We
should have been glad had we been able to penetrate farther to the west
by water, as a glance at the map we had with us showed that we should
still have a considerable amount of westing to make in our course to
Sydney.

My mother was cheerful, notwithstanding the arduous journey on foot
which she was about to undertake. Edith laughed and talked as usual,
not troubling herself about the matter; indeed, she thought that it
would be very good fun to walk on all day through a new country with a
constant change of scenery, and at the end of it the amusement of
forming a camp for the night. She thought, indeed, it would be a
succession of picnics, only with more excitement than ordinary picnics
afford. We none of us said anything to damp her spirits, though I could
not help fearing that she would get tired before long of this style of
life. We had, however, every reason to hope that we should enjoy fine
weather, as the rainy season was now over; and that would be much in our
favour.

We met with no adventure worth recording, and having pulled on all day
without cessation, we reached the head of the navigation soon after
sunset. Our friends, having a fire blazing up cheerfully and provisions
cooking at it, were collected on the bank to welcome us. As soon as the
boat was unloaded we dragged her up the bank some way from the water,
where we intended, before starting the next morning, to house her
carefully over, so that she might be protected from the sun and wet, and
be read