94 NEW ENGLAND (n.S.W.) ETC. 



wide, and there was only one narrow landing-place. To drive 

 the horses in and swim theui over in a boiy was impossible. 

 Only one other course was open, and this, after a day's rest, I 

 adopted. The Government kept a boat at the Crossing, and 

 next morning, having obtained this and the services of the 

 boatman, we haltered each horse and dragged them across one 

 by one behind the boat. Not one of them swam the wliole 

 distance ; as a rule they struck out manfully at first, but by the 

 time we got to the middle of the stream they turned on their sides 

 and were towed for the rest of the distance. By midday we had 

 the lot (twenty-eight) safely landed; 14 miles further on we 

 arrived at Retreat station. 



We made our start with the cattle on 1st March, and 

 travelled by Gordon Brook, Bundock owner, but he was away 

 from home. We next passed Yulgilbar, Edward Ogilvie owner; 

 he was in England at the time, and a friend of mine, " Tom " 

 Smith, was in charge during his absence. The new palatial 

 residence, containing scores of rooms, was then in course of 

 construction. Smith soon afterwards joined Barnes as 

 partner, and from them I bought the first lot of cattle I put on 

 Rodd's Bay when I settled in Queensland. The second lot I 

 bought from Ogilvie. After leaving Yulgilbar we next passed 

 Hamilton's station, and then joined our last year's route at 

 Tabulam. This we followed over the Great Sandy Hill to 

 Tenterfield, and then travelled south by the same road as before 

 until we reached Deepwater, whence, in the expectation of finding 

 a better supply of grass, we took a more westerly track, and in 9 

 miles arrived at Oswald Bloxsom's Ranger's Valley station on the 

 Severn River. We crossed the Beardie River, 3 miles further on, 

 and next came to Mackattie's station, near Wellingrove. The wild 

 ducks here were never interfered with within the house-paddock 

 fences, and a large number of them fed round the house with the 

 common fowls. Wild fowl were plentiful along this road, 

 and with my fowling-piece I obtained an abundance of 

 bustards, ducks, and pigeons, a welcome addition to our simple 

 bush fare. The township of Wellingrove was very much in 

 embryo in 1359. We passed it by and camped for the night at 

 Waterloo station, which differed very much in appearance from 

 the Waterloo near Walcha. On the following day we had to 

 travel 15 miles to the Swanbrook River. Water is not so 

 plentiful on the western slopes of New England, and it was this 

 scarcity that necessitated so long a day's drive for the cattle. 



