270 
APPENDIX NO. II. 
I regretted to observe that they were daily falling off, 
and that although unremitting in their exertions they were 
well nigh exhausted, ere we reached the Morumbidgee. 
We were from sunrise to five o’clock on the water, and 
from the day that we left the depot to that of our return 
we never rested upon our oars. We were thirty-nine days 
gaining the depot from the coast, against a strong current 
in both rivers, being seven more than it took us to go 
down. From the depot to this station we had seventeen 
days hard pulling, making a total of eighty-eight, during 
which time we could not have travelled over less than 
2000 miles. I was under the necessity of stopping short on 
the 10th instant, and of detaching two men for the drays, 
which happily arrived on the 17th, on which day our 
stock of flour failed us. Had I not adopted this plan, the 
men would have become too weak to have pulled up to 
Pondebadgery, and we should no doubt have suffered some 
privations. 
This detail will, 1 am sure, speak more in favour of the 
men composing the party than anything I can say. 1 
would most respectfully recommend them all to His Excel- 
lency’s notice; and I beg to assure him that, during the 
whole of this arduous journey, they were cheerful, zealous, 
and obedient. They had many harassing duties to per- 
form, and their patience and temper were often put to 
severe trials by the natives, of whom we could not have 
seen fewer than 4000 on the Murray alone. 
I am to refer His Excellency the Governor to Mr. 
M‘Leay for any more immediate information he may re- 
quire, — to whom I stand indebted on many points — and 
not less in the anxiety he evinced for the success of the 
