136 SWAMPY COUNTRY. 



damp and swampy nature of the situation. Even 

 now the stock-keepers stated that cattle could not 

 remain about the place, but wander away to more 

 congenial pasturage in other parts of the country. 



We rose at day light to continue our journey ; a 

 hoar frost whitened the ground, and the atmos- 

 phere was exceedingly cold and damp : even our 

 horses were impatient to leave this uncongenial 

 spot, having been left by themselves during the 

 night ; for every animal, except those in confine 

 ment, which had been collected together with 

 much trouble the previous day, were all reported 

 absent without leave on the following morning. 



After a short journey, through a similar 

 swampy country, we arrived at a more elevated 

 and agreeable spot, when we stopped to take re- 

 freshments, made a bush fire, prepared tea, 

 turning out our horses to graze in a fine pas- 

 turage. Many of the Eucalypti trees* were 

 throwing off their dark brown and rough outer 

 bark, appearing in a new one, of a greyish co- 

 lour. The appearance of the trees, partially 

 denuded, with strips of brown crisped bark hang- 

 ing about their trunks and branches ready to fall, 



* The diflPerent trees of the Eucalyptus genus are confused, 

 and require botanical arrangement: many, termed species, 

 are merely varieties ; and the botanical characters of but 

 few species are accurately known. 



