32 WOODS ON FIRE — CROSS THE TURI RANGE. [CH. I 



From Loder's station, we had travelled thus far on our 

 way to Peel's river, without having any road or track to 

 follow, and I had marked the trees along our line of route, 

 which certainly seemed favourable for a cart-road in that 

 direction. Near Carrabobbila, we came upon the track 

 leading to Wallamoul, which was more circuitous, passing 

 by other cattle stations in the plains. 



During the last three days of our journey, the woods Avere 

 burning before us, but fortunately the fire was one day's 

 march in advance of our party, and thus the flames had 

 cleared every thing away before our arrival, so that our 

 camp was not exposed to danger. This evening, however, 

 the country seemed on fire all around us. The weather was 

 calm and sultry, particularly when the day closed in, and a 

 very heavy storm, accompanied by thunder, broke over us 

 in the nig-ht. 



Dec. 10. — The morning was cloudy ; and the rain, which 

 we anxiously looked for, at length came down, and soon 

 checked the progress of the flames. On this account, as well 

 as on that of the want of water, it afforded providential 

 relief to us, for the hills we were about to cross had been all in 

 a blaze during the night. Trees lay smoking as we passed ; 

 several gullies were difficult for the passage of carts, and 

 detained the party in its ascent ; but at length we reached 

 the top of this pass, and crossed the range, which appeared 

 to be continuous, thus separating the basin of the Peel from 

 that of the waters falling to Liverpool plains. We were 

 agreeably surprised to find that the opposite side of these 

 hills, and the whole face of the country beyond them, pre- 

 sented a very different appearance from that through which 

 we had passed. A gently sloping extremity lay before us, 

 for eight miles in the direction of our proposed route, and 

 we were relieved from all the difticidties of crossing gullies, 

 which had impeded our ascent on the other side of the range. 

 We encamped at some water-holes, where this slope termi- 

 nated in an extensive forest flat ; over the whole of which, 



