d the
roll on to the front part of his saddle. On to other D's, with which his
saddle was amply provided, he strapped his Erewhonian boots, a tin
pannikin, and a billy that would hold about a quart. I should, perhaps,
explain to English readers that a billy is a tin can, the name for which
(doubtless of French Canadian origin) is derived from the words "_faire
bouillir_." He also took with him a pair of hobbles and a small hatchet.

He spent three whole days in riding across the plains, and was struck
with the very small signs of change that he could detect, but the fall in
wool, and the failure, so far, to establish a frozen meat trade, had
prevented any material development of the resources of the country. When
he had got to the front ranges, he followed up the river next to the
north of the one that he had explored years ago, and from the head waters
of which he had been led to discover the only practicable pass into
Erewhon. He did this, partly to avoid the terribly dangerous descent on
to the bed of the more northern river, and partly to escape being seen by
shepherds or bullock-drivers who might remember him.

If he had attempted to get through the gorge of this river in 1870, he
would have found it impassable; but a few river-bed flats had been
discovered above the gorge, on which there was now a shepherd's hut, and
on the discovery of these flats a narrow horse track had been made from
one end of the gorge to the other.

He was hospitably entertained at the shepherd's hut just mentioned, which
he reached on Monday, December 1. He told the shepherd in charge of it
that he had come to see if he could find traces of a large wingless bird,
whose existence had been reported as having been discovered among the
extreme head waters of the river.

"Be careful, sir," said the shepherd; "the river is very dangerous;
several people--one only about a year ago--have left this hut, and though
their horses and their camps have been found, their bodies have not. When
a great fresh comes down, it would carry a body out to sea in twenty-four
hours."

He evidently had no idea that there was a pass through the ranges up the
river, which might explain the disappearance of an explorer.

Next day my father began to ascend the river. There was so much tangled
growth still unburnt wherever there was room for it to grow, and so much
swamp, that my father had to keep almost entirely to the river-bed--and
here there was a good