I 12 



A US TRA LA SI A ILL US TRA TED. 



they arrived on the banks of the Murrumbiclgee, which river was greatly swollen by 

 recent rains, and could only be crossed in a boat. Hume and one of Hovell's servants 

 named Boyd swam the river, carrying a rope between their teeth, and the horses and 

 bullocks were then punted over in a cart. 



On their way they sighted a grand range of mountains, afterwards known as the 

 Australian Alps. In November they came to the River Hume, or Murray, but could 

 not cross it at the point of discovery. They first proceeded down the stream, but the 

 continual recurrence of lagoons hindered their progress, and they were compelled to 

 return to their starting-place, whence they journeyed east, still following the water-course 

 through magnificent country. They crossed the river at Albury on the i /th of November, 



iS24. A marked tree 

 and a memorial, 

 erected by the inhabi- 

 tants in honour of 

 Hume, now commemo- 

 rate the incident. 

 After fording a number 

 of tributaries of the 

 M u rray, Hume and 

 Novell discovered the 

 Ovens River on the 

 24th, and on the 3rd 

 of the following 

 month, the Novell or 

 Goulburn. Traversing 

 the Julian Range and 

 still journeying in a 

 south - westerly direc- 

 tion, Jillong, the pre- 

 sent site of the 

 Victorian city of Gee- 

 long, was reached on 

 the i /th of December. 

 It is remarkable that 

 neither Hume nor 

 Novell was certain of 

 the identity of Port 

 Phillip with the har- 

 bour discovered by 



Lieutenant Murray, and each persisted for some time after in confounding it with Western 

 Port. This noteworthy expedition, which opened up a wide field for the enterprise and 

 energy of the colony, was completed in sixteen weeks from its start, and was altogether 

 devoid of those catastrophes which have attended so many Australian exploring parties. 

 Subsequent to this overland journey to Port Phillip, Hume accompanied Captain 



CAl'TAlX CHARLES STUKT. 



