204 A VOYAGE OF DISCOVERY 
any direction*, except to the westward, where an 
extensive range of mountains, (which from their 
appearance we usually call the Blue Mountains), 
terminate our view. ~This range seems to run 
nearly north and south, for our route during these 
two days past has been parallel with them, and at 
the distance, as near as we can estimate, of twelve or 
fifteen miles. Between five and six o’clock this 
morning a breeze sprang up from the southward, 
of which we availed ourselves in a way in which 
I never saw wind made use of before ; for we got 
one of the tent-blankets rigged out on the cart as 
a sail, which made our caravan truly characteristic 
of our travellers, as certainly none but seafaring 
people would ever think of such a contrivance : 
the benefit that was derived from it however ex- 
ceeded the hopes even of those who suggested it. 
The weather being cloudy, we had no observations 
at noon. We did not resume our journey this 
evening until half past seven o’clock, owing to the 
weather being very unfavourable, for it blew very 
tresh, snowed, and drifted the whole day, which 
made the tents for the first time rather uncomfort- 
able ; and, to add to this, one of the officers of the 
party was taken ill with a complaint in his bowels, 
which rendered it necessary to have him carried 
on the cart for the greatest part of this evening’s 
march. We had the sail on the cart again for some 
time, and found it, as before, of considerable ser- 
* To give an idea of the little space there was free from snow, 
I need only mention that the only spot that was clear of it, was 
that on which we pitehed our tents, and it was so small that they 
covered the whole of it. | 
