CH. VI.] HEAVY RAINS SET IN. 125 



grateful for our providential escape. It was obvious, that 

 had we got fast in the mud, or been hemmed in by inunda- 

 tions, we might have been harassed on one side by the 

 natives of the Gwydir, and on the other by the plunderers 

 of Mr. Finch's party, until we shared a similar fate. We 

 had now, fortunately, arrived within sight of the hills, the 

 country around us was open, and with these advantages, 

 the nature of our position was so different, that I could 

 occupy the country, divide my party, visit the camp of Mr. 

 Finch, and recover what we could from that scene of 

 plunder. 



Feb. 14. — This morning, it rained heavily, and the dark 

 sky promised no better weather during the day. 1, there- 

 fore, gave up at once my intention of dividing the party 

 here, and moved the whole forward at an early hour, being 

 desirous to push the carts as near the hills as possible, before 

 the plains became too soft ; and with this view 1 deferred my 

 intended visit to the plundered camp, until after the termi- 

 nation of another day's journey. The soil, as from expe- 

 rience we had reason to expect, had become very soft, and 

 the rain pouring in torrents, it became so, more and more. 

 The wheels, however, did go round, and the party followed 

 me over a plain, which scarcely supported even a tuft of grass, 

 on which I could fix my eye in steering by compass, through 

 the heavy rain. At length 1 distinguished half a dozen trees, 

 towards which we toiled for several hours, and which grew, 

 as we found, when we at length got to them, beside a pond 

 of water ; the only one to be seen on these plains. There 

 was also some grass beside it, and we encamped on its bank, 

 placing the carts in a line at right angles to the trees, thus 

 taking possession of all the cover from an attack that could 

 be found. We had travelled eight miles over the open plain 

 in a straight line, and considering the state of the earth, I 

 was surprised that the cattle had made any progress through 

 it. When the clouds drew up a little, I was not sorry to dis- 

 cover that the plain was clear of wood to a considerable 



