OF STONES-PASS MOUNT LYELL-RECOVERY OF BURIED

STORES

REJOIN

ANXIETY ON APPROACHING HANOVER BAY

THE

LYNHER-MEETING WITH THE BEAGLE

STATE OF THE PLANTS AND SEEDS LEFT AT THE ENCAMP

MENT-RE-EMBARKATION-SAIL FOR THE MAURITIUS.

March 31.-THIS day at dawn, I sent out a party under Mr. Lushington and Mr. Walker, to try if any pass through the mountains could be found, but they returned in four or five hours to report that it was utterly impossible for horses to proceed further in the direction we desired. During their absence I had made a careful examination of the stores, and found that, even at our reduced allowance, we had only provisions left for twenty days; our horses were also reduced in number to twelve, but these, excepting that their feet were sore, were rather improved in condition, than otherwise, since the commencement of the journey. My intention had always been, when I found myself reduced to such

CAUSES FOR RETURNING.

221

an extremity as the present, to proceed for a few days by forced marches towards the interior, accompanied by four men, and then returning to the remainder of the party, to have taken all together back to the vessel; when there, I knew I could have got four volunteers to accompany me, and having loaded the horses with ammunition and provisions, I had it in contemplation to have started with them again for Swan River. But these projects became now impracticable from the declining state of my health, consequent on having started too soon after having received my wound,-to the exertions I was obliged daily to make whilst labouring under its effects,—and to the want of those comforts which contribute so materially to restore an invalid to health. Our allowance of food too had been but scanty, and whilst I fared as my men, who, unshattered in health, had yet grown thin and weak under privation, I, in proportion, had suffered far more.

Mr. Walker, who was aware of my design, came to me to-day, and said, he felt it his duty to recommend me without delay to return to the vessel; that as long as he thought the risk I ran was no more than he considered a man, who had undertaken such a service, should be prepared to incur, he had refrained from pressing this advice upon me, but in my present debilitated state, exposure even for a single night might very probably cost me my life. To this opinion I felt constrained to yield, and Mr. Walker having, at my desire, repeated it in a letter this afternoon, I arranged my plans accordingly.

222

REPORT OF ADVANCED PARTY.

The march in advance, which, had my health permitted, I had intended to make myself, was now deputed to Mr. Lushington: four of those men who remained the strongest of our enfeebled band were selected for an excursion of three days under him; after which we were to return to the vessel.

April 1 & 2.-At dawn, on Sunday the 1st, the party started; and these two days I occupied myself in making magnetic and astronomical observations. Our latitude I found by two meridian altitudes of the moon, to be 16° 0′ 45′′ s., and our longitude, by chronometer, 125° 11'. E.

April 3.-Mr. Lushington's party came in at 12 o'clock this day, reporting as follows:-That they proceeded about eighteen miles from the camp, upon a course of 195° from the north, and the remaining half upon a course of 155°; that the whole of their route lay over a country utterly impassable for horses, owing to the steepness of the hills; that they crossed a great number of under features at right angles to their route, between which lay small streams flowing away to the westward, and which under features were so steep in their descent to the southward, that in going down, the men repeatedly fell: both grass and water were, however, everywhere abundant; and they saw, in the spots where the grass was most luxuriant, the root which I found on the hill at our first encampment on the good land. The last point they attained was a lofty hill, which ran out from a range to the eastward, from which range sprang also all

THEIR DESCRIPTION OF THE COUNTRY. 223

the under features that they had crossed. From this hill, they had an extensive view to the northward, eastward, and westward. The land they saw to the northward is laid down upon my map. To the eastward they saw nothing but ranges of hills, precisely resembling those that we had crossed since entering this mountainous district; and to the westward, others of the same nature, but gradually falling in that direction, whilst on the other hand, the land seemed to rise gently to the eastward, though they saw no very high hills in an easterly direction. To the southward, their view was impeded by a very high bluff point, distant six or seven miles, and a line of cliffs; under which they conceived that a river or an opening of the sea may run, but if so, it could not be a stream of great magnitude. Their view of the base of the cliff was, however, impeded by the under features of the hill on which they stood. They also noticed, as a very remarkable circumstance, that there were no signs of these mountains having been visited by the natives. The first part of their route lay over an extensive plain, four miles in width, which bore no appearance of the great native conflagrations having ever reached it. This was so generally the case that, when they halted, they were unable to obtain a sufficiency of firewood. They saw a native dog of the regular Australian breed; kangaroos were abundant, but these, as well as all other game, were much less wild than any of the party had before observed.

224

WANT OF FIREWOOD-RETURN.

The foregoing summary of the information brought back, rests not on the report of any one individual, but expresses the opinions of the party with regard to those points on which they were all agreed; and the only one as to which I have any distrust, is that of the distance they went, which I believe to be overrated; having always found the estimates of every one of the party, as to the daily distance travelled, very erroneous, and sometimes more than doubled. This, indeed, is a mistake well known to be of common occurrence, and very difficult to guard against in a new and wild country, and when I consider the diminished strength of the men's pedestrian powers, and the weights they had to carry, I am disposed to calculate that the total direct distance they made did not exceed, if it equalled, twelve miles.

Their report of want of firewood is singular, as in all other parts which we passed over, even upon plains of a similar character, though not so highly elevated, or so difficult of access, we had always found the ground thickly covered with trees which had fallen from the effects of the native fires.

The only remarkable circumstances about the spot we were encamped in, were the great coldness of the nights and mornings; and moreover, that exactly at nine o'clock every morning, a cold breeze, in character precisely resembling a sea breeze, set in from the south-east, and lasted until about half-past three in the afternoon.

April 4.-We this day started on our march homewards. I was afraid, from the appearance of