CH. 111.] EMBARK ON THE NAMMOY. 55 



and gold colour, being- a species of stilhum, occasionally 

 surprised me with a hum, almost as musical as the tones of 

 an Eolian harp. But the habits of the bees were very re- 

 markable, judging from a singular circumstance, which 

 occurred respecting my rifle, for I found that a quantity of 

 wax and honey had been deposited in the barrel, and also in 

 the hollow part of the ramrod. I had previously observed, 

 one of these bees occasionally enter the barrel of the piece, 

 and it now appeared that wax and honey had been lodged 

 immediately above the charge, to the depth of about two 

 inches. The honey was first perceived in the hollow part of 

 the ramrod ; and although an empty, double-barrelled gun 

 lay beside the rifle, neither wax nor honey was found in 

 either of its tubes. The bee, which I frequently observed 

 about my tent, was as large as the English bee, and had a 



sting. 



Dec. 28. — This day I sent off one of the men (Stephen 

 Bombelli) with a despatch for the government at Sydney, 

 giving an account of our journey thus far, and stating my 

 intention of descending the Nammoy in the boats. Bombelli 

 was mounted on horseback, armed with a pistol, and pro- 

 vided with food for twelve days, being sufficient to enable 

 him to carry the despatch to Pewen Beweu, and to return to 

 the depot, which I had arranged to establish here. 



Dec. 29. — We launched the second boat, and having 

 loaded both, I left two men in charge of the carts, bullocks 

 and horses, at Bullabalakit, and embarked, at last, on the 

 waters of the Nammoy, on a voyage of discovery. 



We passed along several reaches without meeting any im- 

 pediment, but, at length, an accumulation of drift timber 

 and gravel, brought us up, at a spot, where two large trees 

 had fallen across the stream, from opposite banks. From 

 the magnitude of these trunks and others which, interwoven 

 with rubbish, and buried in gravel, supported them, I antici- 

 pated a long delay, but the activity of the whole party was 

 such, that a clear passage was opened in less than half an hour. 



