tring the river in one of them, I soon found a favourable place
for swimming the cattle and horses at, and which was effected without
accident. The unloaded drays were next drawn through the river at the
same place; which was about three hundred yards lower down the river than
that at which we had encamped, and which was marked by the number 87, cut
on a tree. My former camp on this river in 1831, for want of such a mark,
could not be recognised. According to my surveys, it should have been
found seventeen miles lower down the river. All our stores and equipment
were carried across in the boats. These looked well in the water; their
trim appearance and utility, then renewed my regret that I had not
reached the navigable portion of the Victoria, and that its channel had
been so empty. Perhaps more efficient portable boats never were
constructed, or carried so far inland undamaged. They were creditable to
the maker, Mr. Struth of Sydney. By their means, the whole party was
comfortably encamped this afternoon, on the left bank of the Barwan, just
before a heavy thunder-shower came down. The river had fallen several
feet during the day. Thermometer, at 6 P.M., 82 deg..

10TH DECEMBER.--At 6 A.M. thermometer 68 deg.. The mosquitoes were most
tormenting; as was well expressed by one of the men outside my tent, who
remarked to his companion, "That the more you punishes 'em, the more they
brings you to the scratch:" a tolerable pun for one of "the fancy," of
which class we had rather too many in the party. The horses, although
tethered and close spancelled, could not be secured, even thus. Some had
broken away and strayed during the night. It was ascertained by Yuranigh,
that four other strange horses were with ours, having come amongst them
and led them astray. These had broken loose from a neigh- bouring
station, whence a native came to the men I had left to await the horses
at the Barwan, and took back the strange horses. I had gone forward with
the party, still pursuing the same bearing, and came thus upon the
"Maael," a channel not usually deep, but, at the time, so full of water,
with a very slight current in it, that here again we were obliged to
employ the boats. This channel was distant 51/2 miles from where we had
crossed the Barwan. The bullocks were made to swim across in the yokes,
drawing the empty drays through, which they accomplished very well; "RARI
NANTES IN GURGITE VASTO." The loads were carried in the boats,