ry after so successful a passage of the
range we encamped where but little grass could be found for the cattle,
our tents being not only under lofty trees but amongst thick bushes and
bogs during very rainy weather.

TRAVELLING ALSO DIFFICULT FROM THE SOFTNESS OF THE GROUND.

August 27.

I was so anxious to get into open ground again that, as soon as daylight
permitted, I carefully examined the environs of our camp, and I found
that we occupied a broad flat where the drainage from the hills met and
spread among bushes, so that at one time I almost despaired of
extricating the party otherwise than by returning to the hill at which I
had first altered my route. The track we made had been however so much
cut up by our wheels that I preferred the chance of finding a passage
northward which, of course, was also less out of our way. We reached an
extremity of the hill (the nearest to us on that side) with much less
difficulty than I had reason to apprehend and, keeping along that
feature, we soon regained a range which led us east-north-east. By
proceeding in this direction however we could not avoid the passage of a
valley where the water was not confined to any channel, but spread and
lodged on a wide tract of very soft ground, also covered with mimosa
bushes and a thick growth of young saplings of eucalyptus. The light
carts and the first heavy cart got over this soft ground or bog, but the
others and the boat carriage sank up to the axles so that we were obliged
to halt after having proceeded about five miles only. This was near a
fine forest-hill consisting of trap-rock in a state of decomposition, but
apparently similar to that of the trap-rock I had ascended on the 23rd of
August; and from a tree there Burnett thought he saw the sea to the
north-east, and even to the northward of a remarkable conical hill. The
discovery of the sea in that direction was so different from the
situation of the shore as laid down on the maps that I began to hope an
inlet might exist there as yet undiscovered, the "Cadong," perhaps, of
the native woman, "where white men had never been."*

(*Footnote. See above.)

EXCURSION SOUTHWARD TO PORTLAND BAY.

I had now proceeded far enough to the eastward to be able to examine the
coast about Portland Bay and extend my survey to the capes in its
neighbourhood, the better to ascertain their longitude. I therefore
determined to make an excursion in that direction and thus afford time
not only f