168 AUSTRALIA AND THE AUSTRALIANS. 



before related, a ride of thirty miles without a rest, 

 shows what a Victorian native can do. Such is the 

 experience we passed through, and we now record our 

 thanks to Almighty God for having almost miracu- 

 lously rescued us from a watery grave, in the first 

 instance, and secondly, by saving us from a worse fate 

 of being lost in the Queensland bush. 



Many months afterwards, when the river was dried 

 to a chain of water-holes, we visited the scene 

 of our peril, and found the tree upon which we clung 

 all night ; the bough upon which we stood showed 

 there had been thirty feet of water under us when we 

 ' swam for our lives. We took a plank from the tree, 

 which has been made into a casket bearing a silver 

 plate giving its history, which we leave to our children 

 as a memento of our perilous adventure on April 

 1st, 1869. 



MR. SAMUEL BARBER'S DESCRIPTION. 



It was on the 1st day of April, 1869, a fine morning, 

 although at times cloudy. Our breakfast was none of 

 the best, as our rations were running short, but being 

 full of hope and youthful vigor, we were quite ready 

 when the canoe was finished to make the attempt to 

 cross the river. My brother had a small life-belt 

 which we both thought he had better put on he 



