A PEDESTRIAN EXCURSION. 67 



indisposed, the party was eventually placed under 

 my command, and in addition to myself, consisted 

 of Mr. Bynoe, surgeon ; Mr. Forsyth, mate ; George 

 Knox, Robert Gower, and William Willing, seamen ; 

 John Brown, and Richard Martin, marines. Be- 

 sides provisions for six days, and arms, we had with 

 us the following instruments : large sextant, small 

 sextant, artificial horizon, chronometer, two com- 

 passes, spy glass, watch, lantern, and measuring 

 tape. 



Our route was that of vesterdav to View Hill, 

 and we reached the river a mile to the eastward by 

 half-past seven, a, m. We halted here for ten 

 minutes to skin a kangaroo, which I had shot as we 

 crossed the plain ; a piece of good fortune that in- 

 duced me to determine upon leaving a part of our 

 provisions at the first convenient spot. We found 

 the banks of the river thickly clothed with tall 

 reeds, through which with some difficulty we forced 

 our way. To the north-west the high land receded 

 from the river, having an extensive, and apparently 

 alluvial flat between its base and the course of the 

 stream. 



After a brief halt, we proceeded in an E. l6° S. 

 direction. Two miles good walking brought us to 

 the head of a deep gully, the banks of which were< 

 covered with tall reeds ; we followed its course 

 nearly due north to the river, which it joined near 

 the foot of the high land I have before spoken of. 

 The bed of the stream was dry here in patches for 



F 2 



