rincipal chain, which led to
the south-east, appeared equally impracticable even had its direction
been more favourable.

AT LENGTH REACH A VALLEY LEADING IN THE DESIRED DIRECTION.

Drizzling rain came on and prevented me from seeing far beyond the point
we had reached when I at length halted the party and, taking Piper with
me, descended into a valley before us in order to ascertain its general
direction and whether the carts might not pass along it. We found in this
valley the tracks not of cattle only but of well shod horses: we also
discovered that it opened into extensive green flats and, its direction
being northerly, I hastened back and conducted the party into it by the
best line of descent I could find, although it was certainly very steep.
Having got safe down with our carts we found excellent pasturage, the
cattle marks being very numerous and at length quite fresh, even the
print of young calves' feet appeared, and all the traces of a numerous
herd.

WILD CATTLE SEEN.

In short cattle tracks resembling roads ran along the banks of the chain
of ponds which watered this valley; and at length the welcome sight of
the cattle themselves delighted our longing eyes, not to mention our
stomachs which were then in the best possible state to assist our
perceptions of the beauty of a foreground of fat cattle. We were soon
surrounded by a staring herd consisting of at least 800 head, and I took
a shot at one; but my ball only made him jump, upon which the whole body,
apparently very wild, made off to the mountains.

OBLIGED TO KILL ONE OF OUR WORKING BULLOCKS.

Symptoms of famine now began to show themselves in the sullenness of some
of the men, and I most reluctantly allowed them to kill one of our poor
working animals, which was accordingly shot as soon as we encamped and
divided amongst the party.

BY FOLLOWING THE VALLEY DOWNWARDS, WE ARRIVE ON THE MURRUMBIDGEE.

The valley preserved a course somewhat to the westward of north, and I
now felt confident that by following it downwards we should reach the
Murrumbidgee without meeting further impediment. This unexpected relief
from the hopeless prospects of the drizzling morning was infinitely more
refreshing to me than any kind of food could possibly have been, even
under such circumstances.

October 24.

As we continued our journey downwards the waterholes in the chain of
ponds became small and scarce, while we found the cattle-tracks more and
more numerou