48 OCCUPATIONS OF THE PARTY. 
I had been here in 1839. This did not augur well 
for our future prospects, and gave me considerable 
anxiety relative to our future movements. 
For some days past the whole party had fully 
entered upon their respective duties, each knew 
exactly what he had to do, and was beginning to get 
accustomed to its performance, so that every thing 
went on smoothly and prosperously. My own time, 
when not personally engaged in conducting the 
party, was occupied in keeping the journals and 
charts, &c. in taking and working observations — in 
the daily register of the barometer, thermometer, 
winds, and weather, and in collecting specimens of 
flowers, or minerals. My young friend, Mr. Scott, 
was kept equally busy ; for in many of these duties 
he assisted me, and in some relieved me altogether ; 
the regular entry of the meteorological observations, 
and the collecting of flowers or shrubs generally fell 
to his share ; independently of which he was the 
only sportsman in the party, and upon his gun we 
were dependant for supplies of wallabies, pigeons, 
ducks, or other game, to vary our bill of fare, and 
make the few sheep we had with us hold out as 
long as possible. As a companion I could not have 
made a better selection — young, active, and cheerful, 
I found him ever ready to render me all the assis- 
tance in his power. At our present encampment, 
several of a species of wallabie, very much resembling 
a hare in flavour, were shot by Mr. Scott, but 
