176 AUSTRALIA AND THE AUSTRALIANS. 



the river), with a message to the effect that my brother 

 and sister-in-law had fallen in with some teams that 

 were camped on the other side of the river, and that 

 he desired to see me next morning. This was good 

 news indeed, and sharp at the appointed time I went 

 and was rejoiced to see him safe and well, and to hear 

 that his wife was at their camp, bravely bearing her 

 misfortunes. 



After a good many explanations on both sides, and 

 congratulations at all our lives having been spared, we 

 began to speak of getting him and his wife over the 

 river, which was still very high, and the distance be- 

 tween us made it very difficult to carry on conver- 

 sation. 



I told him that the mail-man (who was weather- 

 bound) and the stockman had offered to go with me 

 to the junction of the rivers where we tried to cross, 

 and swim over to the island so as to get the port- 

 manteau from the tree, as the contents would by that 

 time have received damage from wet. He was glad 

 to hear this, and said he would go to the river just 

 above the junction, and we might meet him there and 

 shout across the river the news as to how we suc- 

 ceeded. Accordingly, next day the two men before 

 mentioned and myself rode to the Isaacs river and, 

 after tying our horses up (excepting one, which we 



