requires in Australia a great degree of skill and knowledge of
the productions of the country; but for a European, utterly unaccustomed
to this species of labour and totally unacquainted with the productions
of the land, to obtain enough to support life for any period, whilst at
the same time he has to search for water, is quite impossible. Even
Kaiber, from his ignorance of the roots, declared that he should starve
in this country. I saw therefore that did I adopt the proposed plan of
travelling only a few miles a day, and occasionally halting for a day or
two to refresh ourselves upon some thistles and periwinkles, I should
infallibly sacrifice the lives of the whole party; and under this
impression I declined to accede to the suggestion. Amongst indolent and
worn-out men however it subsequently became an extremely popular notion,
and, as future events clearly showed, a fatally erroneous one. I from the
first opposed it both by my words and example; and in this instance, as
soon as I conceived that the men were sufficiently rested, I moved on.

PICTURESQUE ESTUARY.

After travelling another mile we found ourselves at the head of a large
and picturesque estuary which lay north and south; the native path ran
along its shores, which were of great richness and beauty, and the
estuary itself lay to our west and was about two miles across; on the
east a series of rich undercliff limestone hills gradually rose into
lofty and precipitate ranges, between which and the estuary was the
fertile valley along which we wound our weary way; while groups of
graceful acacias with their airy and delicate foliage gave a great charm
to this beautiful spot. We moved slowly along, and ere we had made two
miles more the shades of night began to fall and I halted the party.

RICH AND FERTILE DISTRICT.

The abundance of grass which grew around enabled us to enjoy the almost
unknown luxury of a soft bed, yet as I lay down my thoughts were far from
pleasant when I found that we had only walked twelve miles today, and
this distance had been accomplished by several of the party with the
greatest difficulty. Three of them were the men who carried those heavy
loads which I could not yet induce them to abandon; now I could not but
reflect that, if their difficulty was so great in walking in a country
abounding with water, that it would be almost impossible for them to get
along in one where it was scarce; moreover the mere physical exertion of
get