RETURN HOMEWARDS. 83 



centre of that country, of which it is one of the 

 largest known rivers. 



When I had at length most reluctantly made up 

 my mind that all further progress along the banks 

 of the Victoria must be abandoned, I left the spot 

 of our temporary encampment, and proceeded alone 

 a short distance in the direction of the interior ; as 

 though partly to atone, by that single and solitary 

 walk towards the object of my eager speculation, for 

 the grievous disappointment I experienced at being 

 compelled to return. It was something, even by this 

 short distance, to precede my companions in the ex- 

 citing work of discovery— to tread alone the solitary 

 glades upon which, till now, no native of the civilized 

 West had set his foot — and to muse in solemn and 

 unbroken silence upon the ultimate results of the 

 work to which the last few days had been devoted — 

 to mark the gradual but certain progression of civi- 

 lization and Christianity — and to breathe forth, un- 

 witnessed and uninterrupted, the scarce coherent 

 words of thankful adoration for the providential 

 care which had hitherto sustained and directed us. 



November 12, — I found our invalid so much 

 recovered to-day, that I determined on making a 

 short march homewards in the cool of the earlv 

 morning. We reached Tortoise Reach by 8 o'clock, 

 A.M. where we passed the day. During our morn- 

 ing's walk I again had the luck to knock over a 

 kangaroo. It was a female, and had a very vouno^ 

 one in its pouch. It is worthy of remark that 



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