NARRATIVE OF MB. CARRON. 157 



open forest gTouiid^ covered with long- g^rass, the 

 soil a stiff loam. We were not able to make much 

 prog-ress, travelling- on the averag-e from three to 

 five miles a da3\ We were compelled to cut away 

 the scrub^ and the banks of some of the creeks^ before 

 we Avere able to cross them, and were frequently 

 obliged to run a creek up and down some distance 

 before we could find a place where it was passable 

 at all. 



Jiily l^th. — We started very early this morning*, 

 and commenced travelling- over very uneven gTOund, 

 full of small hillocks, and having- the appearance of 

 being- frequently inundated, the g-rass g'rowing- very 

 hio-h and luxuriantly over it. Owino; to the irreo^u- 

 larities of the sm*face the axle-tree of one of our carts 

 g-ave way this day. We were forced to leave the 

 cart and harness behind, and load the horses with 

 the spare pack-saddles we had broug-ht with us^ 

 covering- over the load of each horse with a piece of 

 tarpaulin. We travelled on till dusk, when we 

 arrived at a small creek, over-ofrown with p-rass, 

 which we imag-ined we should cross with little diffi- 

 culty ; Ijut the carts were set fast in the mud, and 

 some of the horses g-ot bog-g"ed. We were forced to 

 carry the loading- of our carts and saddle horses 

 over on our shoulders, a task of no small difficulty 

 and labour, the mud g-iving- way up to the knee at 

 ever}' step. The horses were then safely taken 

 across, and A\e lifted out the carts and carried them 

 to the other side, finding- that it \\'as useless to 



