COMMUNICATED BY HON. A. NORTON, M.L.C. 103 



it. We alighted and seated ourselves on a fallen tree, and 

 waited the event. We were on the side of the hill ; in front it 

 rose almost perpendicularly ; behind was a valley so deep that 

 the eye could hardly distinguish the trees at the bottom. To gain 

 the top of this mountain the road wound round along the side. 

 The first day the horses got up. They were then brought back 

 to assist the rest with the bullocks, but they could not succeed in 

 rising from one piece of rock to another. With great whipping 

 a sudden efl'ort was made, and one shaft was broken. This had 

 to be repaired as well as we could manage it. Some of the 

 baggage was taken off, and with the assistance of the other 

 horses, &c., &c., it was got up ; the rest was got up in like 

 manner. When at the top the men, who were much fatigued, 

 sought for a spring of water, and with the addition of a bottle 

 of rum were refreshed. We again set off, and for the next 

 two miles it was perfectly dark, attended with heavy rain. 

 You can imagine the danger and the misery we rode in not 

 being able to see where we went, but we were obliged to go on 

 till we were near to water. Our tent was pitched in the road 

 and we were obliged to remain in our cart until the bedding was 

 got into the tent ; of course we again lay down in our clothes. 

 During this very fatiguing day's journey we had only accom- 

 plished six miles. For fear I should tire you with a repetition 

 of the same scenes, I will tell you that every day of our journey 

 from Emu to Bathurst we were subject to the same things, such 

 as our bullocks constantly lying down, while others not being 

 able to draw their loads compelled us to have the assistance of 

 the horses, which caused us great delay. Our provisions con- 

 sisted of half a pig, which was salted for us at Emu Plains, and 

 Bome beef ; we had flour to make bread with, tea, sugar, butter, 

 «tc., etc., and when we stopped at night we made some tea and 

 had some cold meat. It was our man's duty every night to boil 

 a piece of meat for the next day, and bake a cake under the iron 

 pot ; breakfast and supper were the only meals we had. I used 

 to take in the cart with me a little just to keep us from 

 starving, and some drink for the baby, and during eleven 

 nights that we remained in the woods my husband never lay 

 down until about three in the morning, when the overseer 

 would get up and watch ; never but twice did he take 

 ■off his clothes ; as we occupied the tent, his only resting place 

 was the cart. It rained the next morning and everything was 

 very uncomfortable ; the men sent in search of the cattle, which 



