think of reducing
our rations of only three quarters of a pound of flour per diem, was
out of the question, or to hope that the men, with less sustenance than
that, would perform the work necessary to ensure their safety, would
have been unreasonable. It was better that our provisions should hold
out to a place from which we might abandon the boat with some prospect
of reaching by an effort a stock station, or the plain on which Robert
Harris was to await our return, than that they should be consumed
before the half of our homeward journey should be accomplished. Delay,
therefore, under our circumstances, would have been imprudent and
unjustifiable.

PATIENCE OF THE MEN--RE-ENTER THE MURRAY.

On the other hand, it was sufficiently evident to me, that the men were
too much exhausted to perform the task that was before them without
assistance, and that it would be necessary both for M'Leay and myself,
to take our share of labour at the oars. The cheerfulness and
satisfaction that my young friend evinced at the opportunity that was
thus afforded him of making himself useful, and of relieving those
under him from some portion of their toil, at the same time that they
increased my sincere esteem for him, were nothing more than what I
expected from one who had endeavoured by every means in his power to
contribute to the success of that enterprise upon which he had
embarked. But although I have said thus much of the exhausted
condition of the men,--and ere these pages are concluded my readers
will feel satisfied as to the truth of my statement--I would by no
means be understood to say that they flagged for a moment, or that
a single murmur escaped them. No reluctance was visible, no complaint
was heard, but there was that in their aspect and appearance which
they could not hide, and which I could not mistake. My object in
dwelling so long upon this subject has been to point out our situation
and our feelings when we re-entered the Murray. The only circumstance
that appeared to be in our favour was the prevalence of the south-west
wind, by which I hoped we should be assisted in running up the first
broad reaches of that river. I could not but acknowledge the bounty
of that Providence, which had favoured us in our passage across
the lake, and I was led to hope that its merciful superintendance
would protect us from evil, and would silently direct us where human
foresight and prudence failed. We re-entered the river on the 13