TO REACH IT.

My anxiety to reach this stream was too great to allow me to pass much
time in looking at it, so, after I had taken a few bearings to the most
remarkable points in the neighbourhood, we wound down the steep descent
in front, and continued our advance towards the river, but were still at
least five miles from it when we became involved in low marshy ground,
traversed by deep sluggish streams, the banks of which were encumbered by
a dense vegetation. Such a country, though admirably adapted both for
commerce and agriculture, offered almost insurmountable difficulties to
first explorers, at least to such as were compelled to move rapidly. We
at last became so completely entangled in a marsh that further progress
was hopeless, and we halted to prepare breakfast whilst a party searched
for a path by which we might be enabled to proceed.

My wound was still open and my sufferings from it were great; whenever we
moved on I was lifted on the pony, and when we halted I was lifted off
again and laid on the ground, where weakness compelled me to remain
during the whole period of our halt; and on occasions like the present,
when most anxious myself to search for a route, I was obliged to lie
still like a helpless child. My mind was as active and as ready for
exertion as ever, yet the weak frame, of which it felt perfectly
independent, was incapable of seconding my most moderate wishes; and the
annoyance I experienced at finding myself in this state long retarded my
recovery and rendered me weaker every day.

At length a route was found, and until sunset we continued our journey
over a very difficult but fertile country, and then halted for the night
on a small elevation, embosomed amidst conical hills which rose from
verdant meadows, watered by several streams. The country was thinly
timbered.

The spot we had halted at was so thickly tenanted with mosquitoes that it
was impossible to sleep. I therefore laid awake, listening to the cries
of the sea-birds and watching the brilliant fire-flies moving about in
the dark foliage of the trees.

PROGRESS TOWARDS THE UPPER PART OF THE GLENELG.

March 3.

Before the first dawn I called some of the party and we started off to
visit the banks of the river. The first part of our journey lay across
rich grassy flats, thinly wooded with large shady trees, or over gently
rising grounds, on which grew an abundance of young grass which appeared
to be a species of oat. These r