STORM. 239 



fatten amazingly upon these " runs." The 

 " Black range" of mountains was passed at the 

 " gap," through which the road passes before 

 arriving at this station. The waters, flowing 

 from the east side of the " Black range," fall 

 into the Yas, and those from the west into the 

 Murrumbidgee river ; and the Yas empties or 

 unites itself with the Murrumbidgee only a short 

 distance from this station. I was soon again 

 on my journey, being desirous of reaching 

 " Jugiong" by the evening, from which I was 

 now distant eighteen miles. 



Before I had proceeded many miles, some 

 heavy clouds which had collected from the west- 

 ward, poured down a deluge of rain, accompa- 

 nied by violent peals of thunder and vivid light- 

 ning : the electric fluid burst with such crashing 

 sounds, that I expected to see the trees shattered 

 in ten thousand pieces by my side. Not having 

 encumbered myself with a cloak, I was fully ex- 

 posed to the pelting for nearly half an hour, 

 when wind, rain, and accompaniments subsiding, 

 the re-appearance of the sun soon dissipated the 

 moisture from the ground, as also from myself ; 

 and by the time I arrived at the end of my jour- 

 ney, my apparel was as dry as when I set out. 

 Although this would have been in our English 

 climate an occurrence injurious to health, yet 



