178 AUSTRALIA AND THE AUSTRALIANS. 



swim a creek on his back, which wet me nearly up to 

 my neck, and having to walk the last few miles and 

 drive the horse with a stick in front, nothing happened 

 to mar the enjoyment of my journey, so that about 

 sunset I got to Oakey Creek station. Mr. Macfarlane, 

 the manager, lent me some clothes, mine being wet 

 and bedrabbled, and having heard of our misfortunes, 

 decided to return next morning with me, and take an 

 overseer with him and also some tools, that we might 

 make a canoe in order to rescue my friends. 



We put up at the public-house on the banks of the 

 river, and for three days worked terribly hard to 

 make a canoe ; Mr. Macfarlane thought we had better 

 fell a gum tree and scoop it out in preference to mak- 

 ing a canoe of bark. I had my doubts as to the wis- 

 dom of this, but being a much younger man, gave in, 

 and we set to work. The wood being green and full 

 of sap we procured some empty brandy kegs from the 

 public-house and lashed two on either side of the 

 canoe to render it more buoyant. 



One keg (the fifth) had one end gone and thinking 

 it a pity to lose the aid of this one, I suggested lashing 

 it with its open end up at the stern, and this we did. 



When we were putting the finishing touches to the 

 canoe, my brother, who was getting very impatient, 

 came and sat on the bank on the opposite side of the 



