ailstones. Many branches of trees along the
line of route, showed that the wind had been very violent to a
considerable distance.

16TH DECEMBER.--Some of the bullocks missing: the party could not,
therefore, quit the camp until 11 o'clock. The passage of the bed of the
chain of ponds (which we travelled up) was frequently necessary, and
difficult for heavily laden drays, which I found ours were, owing,
chiefly to a superabundance of flour, above the quantity I intended to
have taken, but supplied to my party, and brought forty miles by my drays
before my arrival at the camp.

We halted at another sheep station of Mr. Boyd's. Here I perceived that
Horehound grew abundantly; and I was assured by Mr. Parkinson, a
gentleman in charge of these stations, that this plant springs up at all
sheep and cattle stations throughout the colony, a remarkable fact, which
may assist to explain another, namely, the appearance of the Couchgrass,
or Dog's-tooth-grass, wherever the white man sets his foot, although
previously unknown in these regions.

17TH DECEMBER.--Set off about 7 A.M. and travelled along a good road, for
about 6 miles. Then, at a sheep station, we crossed the chain of ponds,
following a road leading to Dr. Ramsay's head station, called
Balderudgery. Leaving that road, and, at 7 miles, taking to the left, we
finally encamped on Spring Creek, after a journey of about 9 miles. We
had passed over what I should have called a poor sort of country, but
everywhere it was taken up for sheep; and these looked fat; yet not a
blade of grass could be seen; and, but for the late timely supply of
rain, it had been in contemplation to withdraw these flocks to the
Macquarie.

Calling at a shepherd's hut to ask the way, an Irish woman appeared with
a child at her breast and another by her side: she was hut-keeper. She
had been there two years, and only complained that they had never been
able to get any potatoes to plant. She and her husband were about to
leave the place next day, and they seemed uncertain as to where they
should go. Two miles further on, a shoemaker came to the door of a hut,
and accompanied me to set me on the right road. I inquired how he found
work in these wild parts. He said, he could get plenty of work, but very
little money; that it was chiefly contract work he lived by: he supplied
sheep-owners with shoes for their men, at so much per pair. His
conversation was about the difficulty a poor man had in providin