NARBATIVE OF ME. CARRON. 157 



open forest ground, covered with long- g'rass, the 

 soil a stiff loam. We were not able to make much 

 progress, travelling on the average from three to 

 five miles a day. We were compelled to cut away 

 the scrub, and the banks of some of the creeks, before 

 we were able to cross them, and were frequently 

 obliged to run a creek up and down some distance 

 before we could find a place where it was passable 

 at all. 



July 14:th. — We started very early this morning-, 

 and commenced travelling" over very uneven gTound, 

 full of small hillocks, and having the appearance of 

 being frequently inundated, the grass growing very 

 high and luxuriantly over it. Owing to the irregu- 

 larities of the surface the axle-tree of one of our carts 

 gave way this day. We were forced to leave the 

 cart and harness behind, and load the horses with 

 the spare pack-saddles we had brought with us, 

 covering over the load of each horse with a piece of 

 tarpaulin. We travelled on till dusk, when we 

 arrived at a small creek, over-grown with grass, 

 which we imagined we should cross with little diffi- 

 culty ; but the carts were set fast in the mud, and 

 some of the horses got bogged. We were forced to 

 carry the loading of our carts and saddle horses 

 over on our shoulders, a task of no small difficulty 

 and labour, the mud giving way up to the knee at 

 every step. The horses were then safely taken 

 across, and we lifted out the carts and carried them 

 to the other side, finding that it was useless to 



