HUME AND HOVELL'S OVERLAND JOURNEY 55 



Mitta Mitta, and it necessitated the reconstruction of the wattle-punt 

 and a repetition of the old process. Captain Hovell began to be 

 alarmed at the frequency of this kind of navigation. He protested 

 that the tarpaulin was nearly worn out, and that when it failed 

 them they would never be able to get back. He wanted to recross 

 the Hume and follow it down on the northern bank, and he de- 

 livered an authoritative address to the men, urging them, on the 

 ground of their personal safety, to refuse to proceed any farther. 

 The majority of the men were with him, but Hume was not to be 

 diverted from his plans ; and while he plainly intimated to Hovell 

 that he might go where he liked, he threatened dire punishment on 

 any of his own men who should show the white feather. He de- 

 clared that as long as he had a bullock to eat, and its hide to make 

 a boat of, he would not turn back without seeing Bass Strait. 

 The men, though anxious to turn back, were afraid to trust them- 

 selves to Hovell's guidance, and were shamed by the enthusiasm of 

 the younger leader. As on a former occasion, when Hovell found 

 his colleague had fairly crossed the Mitta Mitta, taken his wattle- 

 boat to pieces and started on his way, his resolution failed. He 

 had no tarpaulin to help him back over the Hume, and his men 

 looked askance upon the idea of being deserted in the wilderness. 

 He was fain to submit, and signalled to Hume to stop and take 

 him over. The boat was reconstructed, once more a reconciliation 

 was effected, and the reunited party pressed on. The Little River 

 was crossed on a fallen tree, and two days later they struck the 

 Ovens River, near Wangaratta, which they fortunately found easily 

 fordable. Another eight days' tramp, during which they crossed 

 the Broken River and numerous creeks watering the rough country 

 in the Euroa district, and scaled the Strathbogie Ranges, brought 

 them to the banks of the Goulburn, which they were enabled to 

 cross on a large tree. Here, by too closely adhering to their course 

 by the chart, they made their most serious mistake, and holding 

 on a southern course got entangled in the impenetrable ranges 

 to the east of Tallarook. For a week they struggled on over a 

 rugged, stony and precipitous track that lamed the cattle and ex- 

 hausted the men. Nearly worn out with the incessant labour of 

 cutting their way through the tangled scrub of the forest, they 



