PASSAGE OF THE GLENELG.

August 1.

The first part of this day was taken up in dragging the carts and boat-carriage through the river.  At one P.M.  I embarked in the boats, taking in them a fortnight’s provisions and leaving Mr. Stapylton in a strong position with nine men, the stores, and the cattle.  We proceeded for two miles without encountering much obstruction, but we found on going further that the river ran in several channels, all of these being overgrown with bushes, so that it was not without great difficulty that we could penetrate about a mile farther by the time it had become nearly quite dark.  It was no easy matter to push through the opposing branches even to reach the bank.  Many similar branches had been cut during this day’s navigation, Woods, Palmer and most of the other men having been more in the water than in the boats during the last mile.  Every article having been at length got to land, we encamped on the side of a steep hill for the night, and I made up my mind to resume our land journey next day unless I saw the river more favourable ahead.  By the banks of the Glenelg we found a stiff furze-like bush with small purple flowers, spiny branches, and short stiff spiny leaves.  It proved to be a new Daviesia allied to D. colletioides.* Bossiaea cordifolia, a hairy shrub with beautiful purple and yellow flowers, was common.

(Footnote.  D. brevifolia, Lindley manuscripts; glabra, ramis rigidis strictis apice spinescentibus, foliis conicis spinosis subrecurvis, racemis foliis duplo longioribus, bracteolis obovatis cucullatis.)

COUNTRY WELL WATERED.

August 2.

There was a noble reach a quarter of a mile below the point to which we had brought the boats, and it was terminated by a rocky fall which we had heard during the night.  Beyond that point the river turned southward and, this being the direction of our intended journey, I perceived that we could more conveniently in less time pursue its course by land.  The country on its banks was, as far as I could see, the finest imaginable, either for sheep and cattle or for cultivation.  A little rill then murmured through each ravine: 

Whose scattered streams from granite basins burst,
Leap into life, and sparkling woo your thirst.

But it was in returning along a winding ridge towards the camp that I was most struck with the beauty and substantial value of the country on the banks of this river.  It seemed that the land was everywhere alike good, alike beautiful; all parts were verdant, whether on the finely varied hills or in the equally romantic vales which seemed to open in endless succession on both banks of the river.  No time was lost this morning in raising the boats out of the water and, having proceeded myself to the camp at an early hour, and led the carts round, and the carriage to take up the boats, the whole party was once more in movement by eleven o’clock.  As far as I had yet