THE CALIFORNIAN SALMON. 
153 
leader of the relief party sent to learn the fate of the ill- 
starred expedition of Burke and Wills, and that he 
accomplished the object of his mission most successfully. 
His son Charlton, a fine active lad of thirteen, also rode 
with us, and rendered good service on many occasions. 
The Mitchell Eiver flows close past Bairnsdale, and 
enters Lake King some miles below that place. Being 
desirous of knowing the temperature of its waters, while 
counting over the fish intended for it, I asked Mr. G-oold to 
ascertain the surface and bottom temperature of the river. 
He reported 75 deg. at the surface, and 74 deg. at eleven feet 
deep. At the time I thought there must be some mistake, 
but afterwards I had good reason to know that it was quite 
correct, and a very much higher temperature than I could 
have desired for the salmon. Without delay, the waggon 
provided by the shire for conveyance of the fish, started 
for Bruthen, on the Eiver Tambo, and as Bovill, who had 
come from Ercildoune in attendance on the fish, seemed 
quite exhausted by want of sleep, I left him behind, to 
wait my return, and went in the waggon to look after my 
charge. This duty is very light, but constant. The tem- 
perature must be regulated by ice supplied at intervals, 
and air must be forced into the water by bellows every 
fifteen minutes. Mr. O’Brien remained to get some fresh 
horses, and to feed those he brought on, and, after some 
time, he and Mr. Howitt and Charlton overtook us ; and 
Bovill, not liking to be left behind, and feeling stronger 
after dinner, had come on also. 
We had now left the plain country, where, at intervals, 
splendid wheat crops, and well-grassed paddocks, with most 
substantial fences, and stocked with fine cattle, showed the 
wealth of Gippsland; and we entered the interminable 
forest of the mountain slopes, facing seaward, which 
extends, without a break, all the way to the New South 
Wales boundary. 
