ight
yet find some outlet into the good country which would take us clear of
the others; but my searches were in vain. Only one man accompanied me,
and I completely knocked him up ere the evening closed in upon us. We
then were obliged to retrace our steps to the camp, and I now found
myself perfectly worn out by the fatigue consequent on such continued and
violent walking exercise under a tropical sun.

It was however cheering to me to see how constantly some of the men had
laboured at forming the road down the valleys which led into the ravine.
The horses had been brought down thus far; but three more of them had
died, so that our twenty-six ponies were reduced to nineteen, many of
whom were in wretched condition.

CONTINUED DIFFICULTIES OF ROUTE.

February 8.

We again resumed our journey towards the interior; but the pathway, which
ran through the valleys leading to the summit of the ravine, was still so
broken and difficult that the ponies could only carry half loads along
it; and the descent down the clifTs was so steep that they were obliged
to be unladen and led into the ravine without their burdens, which were
carried down upon the men's shoulders. Men could not have behaved better
than they all did on this occasion, particularly Corporal Auger who,
possessing the power of carrying on his back very heavy burdens, took
every occasion of exercising it in such a way as to stimulate the others,
and very much to accelerate our movements.

But even when we had with so much labour got ponies, stores, etc. to the
bottom of the ravine, our troubles had, as it were, only commenced, for
we now had to get out of it on the other side. In the course of the
afternoon however a path had been made, and most of the stores were
safely stowed upon an elevated tableland where we had pitched the tents.
The place I had chosen for our camp was a pretty spot; a sweet, short
herbage had been raised by the heavy rains from the sandy soil, and
amongst this the beauteous flowers, for which Australia is deservedly
celebrated, were so scattered and intermixed that they gave the country
an enamelled appearance. A lofty species of Casuarina was intermingled
with trees of a denser foliage, and on each side we looked down into two
deep ravines; through the dense dark foliage of which could be seen the
white foaming waters brawling on their way far below.

The next day was occupied in bringing up the remainder of the stores from
the ravine