50 
MR. HUME’s excursion. 
following morning he was extremely weak and feverish. To 
add to my anxiety, Mr. Hume also complained of indispo- 
sition. His state of health made me the more anxious to 
quit a position which I fancied unwholesome, and in which, 
if there was no apparent, there was certainly some secret, 
exciting cause ; and as Mr. Hume reported having crossed 
a chain of ponds about four miles to the eastward, and out 
of the immediate precincts of the marshes, I ordered the 
tents to be struck, and placing Dawber on my horse, we all 
moved quietly over to them. 
The result of Mr. Hume’s journey perplexed me exceed- 
ingly. He stated, that on setting out from the Macquarie 
his intention was to have proceeded to the N. E., to ascer- 
tain how far the reeds existed in that direction, and, if at 
all practicable, to reach the Castlereagh ; but in case of 
failure, to regain the Macquarie by a westerly course. At 
first he travelled nearly four miles east, to clear the marshes, 
when he came on the chain of ponds to which we had re- 
moved. 
He travelled over good soil for two miles after crossing 
this chain of ponds, but afterwards got on a red sandy loam, 
and found it difficult to proceed, by reason of the thickness 
of the brush, and the swampy state of the ground in con- 
sequence of the late rain. 
The timber in the brushes was of various kinds, and he 
saw numerous kangaroos and emus. On issuing from this 
brush, he crossed a creek, leading northerly, the banks of 
which were from ten to twelve feet high. Whatever the 
