70 A HISTORY OF THE COLONY OF VICTORIA 



could be found for the cattle. Even the black boy they had brought 

 from Sydney stood aghast at the desolate outlook and absconded 

 during the night. Gradually, too, the indications gained strength 

 that the river sometimes spread out in floods, vast flats of rotten 

 soil covered with dry reeds and bulrushes making the toilsome way 

 under a midsummer sun most difficult and painful. Captain Sturt 

 feared he was going to lose the Murrumbidgee as he had lost the 

 Macquarie, in a formless waste of marsh and swamp. And yet 

 the turbid river flowed on with unabated current and showed no 

 signs in itself of exhaustion. So after a few days more of desperate 

 effort to force the drays through the dense reed beds, and being 

 fairly beaten, the resolve was made to send them back to the 

 frontiers of the occupied country, and to trust to the river and the 

 boat. Promptly the decision was conveyed to the surprised camp, 

 and in four days the historical whale-boat was finished, painted and 

 launched upon the river a few miles below where the flourishing 

 town of Hay now stands. A few days longer were required to 

 construct a second boat to carry additional stores, and a temporary 

 wharf had to be put up for loading them from the drays. The 

 carpenter, Clayton, seems to have been a very competent workman, 

 for the smaller boat was built out of planks sawn from a single tree 

 and entirely prepared by himself. The whale-boat accommodated 

 all the party, carried the arms and ammunition and most of the 

 stores. The skiff, towing behind her, was loaded with the casks of 

 salt meat, a still for condensing the salt water, and the carpenter's 

 tool-chest. Selecting six of the best men as a crew, Sturt and 

 Macleay embarked upon their adventurous journey, and the rest of 

 the party, in charge of Harris, were instructed to remain in camp 

 for one week and then to make their way back to the Goulburn 

 Plains. Here they were to await instructions from Sydney in 

 response to the despatches addressed to the Governor by Sturt, and 

 forwarded in their charge. The boats were cast off at daylight on 

 the 7th of January, 1830, and on the second day, while proceeding 

 easily down with the current, they met with a misfortune, the 

 ultimate result of which greatly aggravated the sufferings. The 

 skiff struck upon a snag and went down in about twelve feet of 

 water. The boat and its contents were recovered after a day's 



