CHAPTER II. 



Enter an unexplored region — Situation of Mr. Oxley's camp on the Peel — 

 Westward course of the river — Kangaroo shot — Calcareous rocks — Acacia 

 pendula first seen — Other trees near the river — Junction of the Peel and 

 Mulueriiulie — View from Perimbungay — Ford of Wallanburra— Plains of 

 MuHuba — View from Mount Ydire — Hills seen agree with the bushranger's 

 account — The River " Naramoy" — Stock-yard of the bushranger — Sin- 

 gular fish — View from Tangulda — Cutting through a thick scrub — Want 

 of water — Impeded by a lofty range of mountains — Marks of natives' 

 feet — Maule's river — A grilled snake — View on ascending the range of Nun- 

 dawar — Native female — Proposed excursion with pack-horses — Native guide 

 absconds — The range impassable — Return to Tangulda — Prepare to launch 

 the boats on the Nammoy. 



We advanced with feelings of intense interest into the 

 country before us, and impressed with the responsibility of 

 commencing the first chapter of its history. All was still 

 new and nameless, but by this beginning, we were to open a 

 way for the many other beginnings of civilized man, and 

 thus extend his dominion over some of the last holds of bar- 

 barism . 



About a mile and a half below Wallamoul, we crossed a 

 small open plain, and I was informed that Mr. Oxley en- 

 camped on its southern side, and had afterwards forded the 

 Peel at no great distance from the spot. 



We crossed a succession of gentle slopes, w^ithout any gully 

 or water-course between them. After travelling about eight 

 miles in a north-west direction, wc came upon the Peel, 

 having thus cut off a great bend of the river. From that 

 point our route was west and even to the southward of west, 

 until we again encaujped near the river, after a journey of 

 fifteen miles. Some fiats crossed by the party this day ap- 

 peared to be su))ject to inundations. One gully only had 

 impeded our carts. It was about a mile short of the en- 

 cam])ment, and it was called " Goora" by the natives. It 

 had evidenlly been long dry — had steep banks — and its 



