CH. I.] ARRIVE ON THE RIVER PEEL. 33 



as my sable guide informed me, there was no other water at 

 that time. 



- The grass on this side of the hills was good : and almost 

 all the timber consisted of box {eucalyptus). The heights 

 which we had crossed appeared to extend from the Liverpool 

 range to the northward, as far as could be seen ; but the 

 native told me, that it soon terminated on the river " Callala" 

 (or Peel), whose course, he said, turned westward (as he 

 pointed) ; a fact corroborating so far, the statements of the 

 bushrano;er. 



Dec. 11. — The weather cleared up at about six a. m. : and 

 we travelled across a good soil, throughout the whole of this 

 day's journey. The country appeared but thinly wooded, and 

 without any hill or water-course. After a journey of thirteen 

 miles, we reached the bank of the Peel at Wallamoul, the 

 lowest cattle station upon this rivei'. It was occupied by Mr. 

 Brown, who had there about 1600 head of cattle. I save 

 to " Jemmy," our excellent guide, the promised tomahawk, 

 also a knife to " Monday" his brother, whom he met here. 

 The river was so low that Mr. White and I passed over easily 

 on a tree which the flood had laid across it. The current, 

 however, was strong ; and the men having been furnished 

 from our stock with a few hooks and lines, caught three 

 large fishes by sunset. I met, at this place, with some in- 

 telligent natives, from whom I learnt, that the spot where 

 Mr. Oxley crossed the Peel on his journey, was about two 

 miles lower down. 



Dec. 12. — At an early hour this morning, one of our men 

 caught a fish, which weighed eighteen pounds; but, accord- 

 ing to the natives, this was no uncommon size. These fishes 

 are most erroneously called cod by the colonists, although 

 they certainly very much resemble cod in taste. The flakes 

 are firmer than sea cod, and equally white, the fish affording 

 a very light and palatable food. When dried in the same 

 manner as the Newfoundland cod, in which state I have 



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