y that day, for after two miles
of boggy brushwood country their progress was suddenly arrested by a
sea of water, the overflow of a large creek, the outline of which
could be traced by a fringe of dark green foliaged trees. Some
fruitless attempts were made to cross it at different points. At the
narrowest part they could find, on running it down at a spot where
the channel was hemmed in by ridges on either side, it was still
half-a-mile wide, and running very strongly in the actual channel.
They therefore had to resign themselves to wait patiently till the
flood went down, apparently not a near prospect, for the rain still
continued to drizzle unceasingly. After hunting about for some time
they were fortunate enough to find a good dry camp when turning out,
they disposed themselves to await the subsidence of the water, with
what patience they might. The next two days were spent in hunting
for the pot, and exploring for a good crossing place. In the former
they met with no success, all they were able to find being a kind of
wild grape, about the size of a small marble. They are black and
sweet, and as Alexander Jardine describes, "very good to eat, but
they take all the skin off the tongue and lips!" On the evening of
the second day they had the pleasure of seeing that the creek was
slowly going down, giving promise that they might be able to cross it
on the morrow.

'February' 28.--This morning they had the satisfaction of seeing
that the creek had fallen sufficiently to enable them to cross, but
not without swimming. At the spot they chose for going over the
stream was about fifteen yards wide, but the current very rapid. The
horses were crossed in the usual manner, swimming with their saddles
on their backs, but the rations, etc., were passed over by a
different method, one which did credit to the projector. A kind of
flying suspension bridge was improvised, by which they were slung to
the other side, in a manner proving that necessity is the mother of
invention. By attaching one end of their light tent-line to the
branches of an over-hanging tree on the hither side, and the other
end to a butt on the opposite bank, the "swag" slid down by its own
gravity, and was safely crossed. Their 'impedimenta' were thus
safely transported to the opposite bank, the whole process occupying
about an hour. They were well re-paid for their long patience, for
immediately on attaining the other side, the country changed