New South Wales. It was for
the purpose of exploring the course of this fine stream, that Captain
Sturt was sent out at the latter end of 1829, and he had reached by
land-conveyance a swampy region exactly resembling those marshes in
which the Lachlan and Macquarie rivers had been supposed by Mr. Oxley to
lose themselves. To proceed further by land was impossible, and, since
they had brought with them a whale-boat, which had been drawn by oxen
for many a weary mile, it was resolved to launch this on the river, a
smaller boat was built in seven days only, and both boats being laden
with necessaries, and manned with six hands, arrangements were made for
forming a depot, and the rest of the party were sent back; and when the
explorers thus parted company in the marshy plains of the Morrumbidgee,
it appeared doubtful even to themselves whether they were ever likely to
meet again in this world. Of the country, whither the stream would carry
the little crew of adventurers, literally nothing was known. There
might be a vast inland sea,--and then how could they hope with their
frail barks to navigate it in safety for the very first time? Or, even
if they did so, how were they to force their way back again to the
remote dwelling-places of civilised man? The river might gradually waste
itself among the morasses; and then, with their boats become useless for
want of depth of water, how were they to walk across those endless
levels of soft mud? or, supposing that to be practicable, how were their
provisions to be conveyed, or whence, then, except from their boats,
could they hope for a supply? Questions of this nature must have offered
themselves to the minds of the daring spirits, who accompanied Captain
Sturt; nor can due justice be rendered to their courage without a
careful consideration of the dangers which they deliberately braved.

[24] See Sturt's Expeditions in Australia, vol. i. Dedication, p. 4.

Two oars only were used in the whale-boat, to the stern of which the
skiff was fastened by a rope; but the progress of the party down the
river was rapid. Having passed, in the midst of the marshes, the mouth
of a considerable stream (supposed to be the Lachlan, here emptying its
waters out from the midst of those swamps wherein it appeared to Mr.
Oxley to be lost,) on the second day of their journey the voyagers met
with an accident that had nearly compelled them to return. The skiff
struck upon a sunken log, and, immediately