REACH A FINE POINT ON THE RIVER.

At length I approached a ravine on the left which I at first took for that of the river; but I soon perceived through the trees on my right a still greater opening, and there I at last found the valley of the Glenelg.  In the ravine to the left ran another small stream rather larger than that crossed yesterday.  We reached the bank of this at 2 3/4 miles from the place where we left the party and at about half a mile above its junction with the main stream.  The high ground between the two streams terminated in a round grassy promontory overlooking one of the finest flats imaginable.  I determined to endeavour once more to explore the river’s course with the boats; provided we should succeed in transporting them over the mud to this spot; and I returned with this intention to the muddy scene where I had left the men.  It was quite dark before I found it again and then they had succeeded in getting through only the three light carts.  I did not despair of accomplishing the passage, at least in the course of time; but I was indeed impatient for daylight that I might carefully examine with that view all parts of the country between our camp and the place where I intended to launch the boats into the Glenelg again.

THE CARTS EXTRICATED BY PROCEEDING WITH GREAT CAUTION.

August 16.

This morning it rained heavily and there was a balmy and refreshing mildness in the air, probably owing to the vicinity of the sea.  It occurred to me that, as the ground appeared to slope towards the south-east, we might reach some hollow on that side leading to the little river we discovered yesterday; and that such a hollow would afford the best chance of escape from the soft flats which now impeded us, since the drainage they afforded to the immediate banks was likely to leave them at least firm enough to be travelled upon.  On this principle alone I understood why the ground on the banks of the stream seen yesterday was so firm; and I therefore hoped that the head of any ravine found near our camp would lead by a dry though perhaps circuitous route first to the tributary, and next by its bank to the point already mentioned where it joined the Glenelg.  I accordingly instructed Mr. Stapylton to examine the ground in the direction proposed while I superintended the exertions of the party to drag the boat-carriage through the mud.  We finally succeeded in this last effort and, just as I stood watching with joy the ascent of the carriage to the firm ground beyond, Mr. Stapylton came to me with the intelligence that he had found the head of a ravine and firm ground on its bank in the direction where he had been.  One bad place alone intervened between our present position and the firm ground at the head of the ravine but this Mr. Stapylton said was very bad indeed.  By 10 A.M. everything was got across the first swamp, the loads of all the carts having been carried by the men.  To the new difficulty mentioned by Mr.