HUME AND HOVELL'S OVERLAND JOURNEY 51 



their own expense, subject to some small provision of stores from 

 the commissariat, and the promise that if successful they should 

 receive each a suitable land grant and the cash equivalent of the 

 hire of their draught stock. Hume accordingly provided two 

 horses, a cart and one pack bullock ; Hovell contributed a cart, 

 one horse and four bullocks. Hume's resources were so limited 

 that he had to sell his fine imported iron plough to purchase his 

 share of the stores and provisions. The whole contribution by the 

 Government was comprised in the loan of six pack saddles, a tent, 

 two tarpaulins, a small quantity of arms and ammunition, two 

 skeleton charts for tracing the journey, and the present of an outfit 

 of slop-clothing for each of the six convict servants. Naturally 

 the pack saddles, the tent and the tarpaulins were not of much 

 value after the rough usage of such a journey, but the arms were 

 duly returned to the public stores, and the skeleton charts, materi- 

 ally enhanced in usefulness by additional tracings, were handed on 

 to the Surveyor-General. Whether under irritation at the non- 

 receipt of the saddles, or from motives of parsimony bordering on 

 repudiation, cannot now be known, but it is certain that, splendid 

 as were the results of the exploration, the Government refused to 

 pay for the hire of the cattle, as promised, and Hume says that 

 he had great difficulty in obtaining tickets-of-leave for the three 

 servants who had so faithfully worked for him. 



The association of Captain Hovell with the party, though it 

 cannot be said to have affected the result of the expedition, was 

 productive of a great amount of discomfort, and by continual 

 dissensions intensified the hardships experienced. On account of 

 his ability to use the sextant, he rather arrogated to himself the 

 position of at least the scientific leader ; but his absolute ignorance 

 of woodcraft, his indecision and irresoluteness, which frequently 

 led him to wish to turn back, soon lost him the confidence of the 

 party. All the assigned convict servants pinned their faith to 

 Hume, and when in one of the early stages of the journey Hovell, 

 following his own course in opposition to his colleague, got lost, 

 and spent a miserable night out of camp, his prestige was gone. 

 The names of the three men who were allotted to Hume were 

 Henry Angel, James Fitzpakick and Claude Bossawa ; HovelTs 



4* 



