m Kahabuka, which
gratified him greatly: he seemed to have become afraid of me, and acted
as one who was in my power. Having therefore made up my mind that I
would begin exploring as soon as shearing was over, I thought it would be
a good thing to take Chowbok with me; so I told him that I meant going to
the nearer ranges for a few days' prospecting, and that he was to come
too. I made him promises of nightly grog, and held out the chances of
finding gold. I said nothing about the main range, for I knew it would
frighten him. I would get him as far up our own river as I could, and
trace it if possible to its source. I would then either go on by myself,
if I felt my courage equal to the attempt, or return with Chowbok. So,
as soon as ever shearing was over and the wool sent off, I asked leave of
absence, and obtained it. Also, I bought an old pack-horse and
pack-saddle, so that I might take plenty of provisions, and blankets, and
a small tent. I was to ride and find fords over the river; Chowbok was
to follow and lead the pack-horse, which would also carry him over the
fords. My master let me have tea and sugar, ship's biscuits, tobacco,
and salt mutton, with two or three bottles of good brandy; for, as the
wool was now sent down, abundance of provisions would come up with the
empty drays.

Everything being now ready, all the hands on the station turned out to
see us off, and we started on our journey, not very long after the summer
solstice of 1870.

CHAPTER III: UP THE RIVER

The first day we had an easy time, following up the great flats by the
river side, which had already been twice burned, so that there was no
dense undergrowth to check us, though the ground was often rough, and we
had to go a good deal upon the river-bed. Towards nightfall we had made
a matter of some five-and-twenty miles, and camped at the point where the
river entered upon the gorge.

The weather was delightfully warm, considering that the valley in which
we were encamped must have been at least two thousand feet above the
level of the sea. The river-bed was here about a mile and a half broad
and entirely covered with shingle over which the river ran in many
winding channels, looking, when seen from above, like a tangled skein of
ribbon, and glistening in the sun. We knew that it was liable to very
sudden and heavy freshets; but even had we not known it, we could have
seen it by the snags of trees, which must have been c