nds blow the plant away from its roots, and send it careering
over the downs, jumping for yards, and high in the air, frightening
one's horse when it gets between his hind legs, giving him the
impression that he had slept, and dreamt he was young again.

We passed Hughenden Station, which had just been taken over by Mr.
Robert Gray from Mr. Ernest Henry, and camped the sheep where the town
of Hughenden now stands.

We then had a long stage of fifteen miles to the bend of the river
without water. The remainder of our trip down the river was uneventful.
We passed Telemon (Stewart's), Marathon (then owned by Carson), Richmond
Downs (Bundock and Hayes), Lara (Donkin Brothers), and Canobie (Edward
Palmer).

At Clifton, our destination, there was a fine water-hole two and a-half
miles long, trees on the banks were crowded with cockatoos, corellas,
with galahs in flocks on the plains.

Work soon commenced in earnest, and progress made, in building a small
house, sheep yards, and the necessary improvements for a sheep station.
The country consisted of plains, with patches of scrub between, in which
there was abundance of salt-bush, all carrying good feed for the sheep.

CHAPTER III.

Mr. Carruthers' agreement to take charge of the sheep until they arrived
at their destination having expired, my uncle wrote me to take over the
station, and advised that if I remained in charge, he would increase my
salary to L200 per year. As Carruthers was anxious to return to his
station, I accepted the former, but replied that unless the pay for
managing was increased to L300 per year, to send someone at once to take
my place.

In the meantime, the blacks had come into Canobie at night, and attacked
three men who were camped on the river, within sight of the station.
They killed two, and the third was left for dead. He was found to be
alive, and afterwards recovered from the severe battering he received.

Palmer sent word asking me to send all the men I could spare to come
over to assist in hunting the murderers. I did so, Carruthers taking
charge of the armed party.

A few days previous to this occurrence I had visited an out-station to
count the sheep, taking a man with me to help in repairing the yard.

On returning after dark we passed a billabong, from which a very strong
stench, as if from decomposed vegetable matter, arose. The following
morning we both felt unwell, and vomited a good deal. The man with me
was much o