few Balfourias. Although we had a very difficult
task before us--the ascent of the hills-our spirits did not fail us; but
the horses began to look very poor and weak, although they had always had
plenty of grass.

July 31.

Early this morning Mr. Kennedy, Jackey, and four others left the camp,
and began clearing a way up the mountain. They remained out the whole of
the day.

August 1.

Mr. Kennedy and his party returned to the camp, having determined on a
route by which we should proceed up the mountain. Mr. Kennedy spoke very
highly of Jackey, and thought him one of the best men of the party for
cutting away scrub and choosing a path; he never seemed tired, and was
very careful to avoid deep gullies.

August 3.

We started early this morning, and proceeded up a spur of the range, in a
north-westerly direction, but could not get so far as they had cleared.
We managed to get twenty-three horses and their loads up to a flat place
on the range, but, after several efforts, being unable to drive or lead
the other horse up, we left him tied to a tree in the scrub. We found him
all right the next morning, but as there was nothing but scrub before us,
Mr. Kennedy thought it prudent to send the horses back to where there was
grass and water for them, whilst some of the party cleared a path. After
we had entered the scrub, we crossed a small creek, running rapidly, and
which joined another running from the north-eastward, and which at their
junction, form the river we had been camped at for the last few previous
days.

The creeks ran over precipitous rocky falls, and it was Mr. Kennedy's
opinion, that all the creeks we have met with on this side (coast side)
the range, run into the swamps, and there spread, and gathering again,
form into channels and run into Rockingham Bay. There is a large tract of
land opposite Rockingham Bay which is occupied by swamps, intersected by
patches of open ground, and a few peaked hills. The swamps extend about
forty-five miles, to about 145 degrees 20 minutes east longitude. It
seemed that a great deal of rain had fallen over this country, and it
rained at intervals all the time we were in the vicinity of Rockingham
Bay--from the 21st May to the middle of August. It was Mr. Kennedy's
opinion that the rainy season occurred very late this year. The whole
peninsula seemed to fall from the east towards the west.

August 4.

Mitchell, Dunn, and myself, took the horses and sheep to grass and