288 BIOGRAPinCAL SKETCH OF THE 



Stale of debility as by no means to justify me in persevering 

 further, particularly as the line of country before me (18 

 miles to Cox's River), has Ijeen reported by the surveyor to 

 be of arid brushes on a sandstone base, I have been induced 

 from necessity to proceed back to my encampment at Tomah, 

 two and a half miles distant, where I have proposed to re- 

 main a day to afford rest to my wearied horses, a little 

 herbage being also to be met with among the Ferns in the 

 neighbouring open forest-land. On the whole I have not so 

 much to regret my incapability to advance forward to Cox s 

 River by this recently discovered route, since as already re- 

 marked, the remaining distance is a sandstone scrub with 

 only an occasional patch of grass, and hence not likely to 

 afford me a single plant other than what the parallel line of 

 old road south of it furnishes ; whilst, on the other hand, the 

 mountain of Tomah, from the permanency of its shade, and 

 general humidity of the atmosphere of its elevated summit, 

 giving a peculiar character to its vegetation, appears every 

 way more interesting to me in my pursuit of Flora, which 

 has been the sole object that has induced me to take this 

 journey. 



" 2d. A very high wind from the north-west during the 

 night rendered our encampment not altogether safe, as the 

 decayed branches of the trees, which the violence of the wind 

 had broken off, were falling about us in every direction. My 

 two horses having rejected every kind of herbage my present 

 station afforded them, although frequently shifted to fresh 

 spots, and finding they were daily becoming more debilitated 

 for want of proper nourishing pasture, 1 was obliged to de- 

 spatch them with a light load each to my encampment of the 

 27th, distant about nine miles, where there was a little grass, 

 it appearing to me very evident, tliat should I continue them 

 another day at Tomah, they would become so exceedingly 

 exhausted as to be unable to return to Richmond with my 

 luggage. As 1 continued at Tomah with the remaining po'*" 

 tions of my baggage, until the return of one of my people 

 with a packhorse on the morrow, I employed myself collect- 



