Taylor to a deep grave, the doctor having previously laid it out between two large sheets of bark.  I was myself confounded with the most heart-felt sorrow when I turned from the grave of poor Tally-ho, never to hear his bugle blast again.* It was late before we commenced the passage of this fatal river which, although apparently narrow, we could only cross in the same manner in which we had passed the largest, namely, by swimming the cattle and horses, and carrying every article of equipment across in the boat.  We effected even thus however the passage of the whole party before sunset; and then encamped on the opposite bank.

(Footnote.  How this man could have died in the water in so short a time we did not understand, but it was conjectured that he had received some blow from the horse, until we were subsequently informed when on the Murrumbidgee by a person there who knew Taylor that he was subject to fits, a fact which satisfied us all as to the sudden manner of his death.)

October 14.

As we proceeded the broad swampy bed of this river or morass appeared on our right for a mile, the country being still covered by an open forest of box, having also grass enough upon it.  At eight miles we approached some low hills of clay-slate, and I ascended one to the southward of our route from which I recognised a sufficient number of previously observed points to enable me to determine its relative position and theirs.  On this hill I found the beautiful Brownonia which we had seen before only on Macquarie range beside the Lachlan.  We here also met with the rare Spadostylis cunninghamii, whose heart-shaped glaucous leaves so much reminded us of the European euphorbias that it would have been mistaken for one of them if it had not been for its shrubby habit and bright yellow pea flowers.

PASS THROUGH FUTTER’S RANGE.

The country crossed beyond this hill was first undulating then hilly, and at length became so much so that it was necessary to pick a way for the carts with much caution.  Nevertheless we at length succeeded in crossing this range also at its lowest part where the hill to the northward of it, already mentioned as the end of a range, bore nearly north.  On reaching the head of this pass the prospect before us, after winding through such a labyrinth of hills, was agreeable enough.  One fertile hollow led to an open level country which appeared to be bounded at a great distance by mountains; and I concluded that I should find in this extensive valley the rivers King and Ovens.  Keeping along the verdant flat (which was watered by a good chain of ponds) we encamped about a mile and a half beyond the pass, and I then named that feature above it Futter’s range after a successful and public-spirited colonist of New South Wales.

IMPEDED BY A SWAMP AMONG REEDS.

October 15.