194 THE PASTORAL AGE IN AUSTRALASIA 



valley, they might have to pass. The descent of rocky 

 and precipitous mountains would task their skill and 

 endurance. As it was impossible to drive the whole 

 mob do"vvn at once the side of a mountain a mile deep, 

 they would cut off 25 or 30 at a time. These they would 

 force down 300 or 400 yards to the first ledge, where 

 they left two men with them ; the owner and the rest 

 would go back for the remainder ; till the cattle formed 

 a long line from near the top to the base. Exhausted 

 though the master and men alike were, the process 

 had to be repeated with the sheep. All had to watch 

 by night. Truly, the difficulties, trials, and dangers 

 of an expedition with stock over the Australian Alps 

 made the journey memorable.* 



They might be overtaken on the summit tableland 

 of the Australian Alps by a tremendous snowstorm. It 

 was hard then, even with the help of the sheep-dogs, 

 to get the sheep on. Deeper and deeper fell the snow, 

 so that the guide would lose his way. It was intensely 

 cold, and they could go no further. They were brought 

 up in front of a high and wooded mountain. The boss 

 would fall asleep, with his head on the saddlebow, as 

 he stood by the side of his horse. It snowed heavily 

 all night and all next day. The position grew dangerous. 

 The boss and the guide, leaving the sheep with the two 

 shepherds, went off in search of the track. With the 

 aid of a compass they found it, and they reached the 

 spot at nightfall. Next day they went back for their 

 sheep, which had sustained no harm from their long and 

 terrible exposure.f 



Very daring bits of overlanding were sometimes 

 attempted and accompHshed. An Overlander was 

 engaged by a South Australian squatting firm to take 

 2,000 cattle from the Darling Downs to Adelaide. Men 

 were hired and supplies purchased. Then, instead of 

 following the customary route by the DarHng and the 

 Murray, the leader boldly struck across country, ap- 



* Brodbibb, Recollections, pp. 82-3. 

 t Ibid., pp. 62-4. 



