9 
appearance of the party. 
seemed to have forgotten the tempests that sometimes agi 
tate her. 
I proceeded direct to the house of my friend Mr. J. Deas 
Thomson.who had agreed to accompany me to Brownlow Hill, 
a property belonging to Mr.M'Leay, the Colonial Secretaiy, 
where his son, Mr. George M'Leay, was to join the expedi- 
tion. As soon as we had taken a hasty breakfast, I went 
to the carters’ barracks to superintend the first loading of 
the animals. Mr. Murray, the superintendent, had ar- 
ranged every article so well, and had loaded the diays so 
compactly that I had no trouble, and little time was lost in 
saddling the pack animals. At a quarter before 7 the party 
filed through the turnpike-gate, and thus commenced its 
journey with the greatest regularity. I have the scene, 
even at this distance of time, vividly impressed upon my 
mind, and I have no doubt the kind friend who was near 
me on the occasion, bears it as strongly on his recollection. 
My servant Harris, who had shared my wanderings and 
had continued in my service for eighteen years, led the ad- 
vance, with his companion Hopkinson. Nearly abreast of 
them the eccentric Fraser stalked along wholly lost in 
thought. The two former had laid aside their military ha- 
bits, and had substituted the broad brimmed hat and the 
bushman’s dress in their place, but it was impossible to 
guess how Fraser intended to protect himself from the heat 
or the damp, so little were his habiliments suited for the 
occasion. He had his gun over his shoulder, and his double 
shot belt as full as it could be of shot, although there was 
