EXPEDITION PASS.
September 29.
The range before us was certainly rather formidable for the passage of carts, but home lay beyond it, while delay and famine were synonymous terms with us at that time. By following up the valley in which we had encamped I found early on this morning an easy way through which the carts might gain the lowest part of the range. Having conducted them to this point without any other inconvenience besides the overturning of one cart (from bad driving) we descended along the hollow of a ravine after making it passable by throwing some rocks into the narrow part near its head. The ravine at length opened, as I had expected, into a grassy valley with a fine rivulet flowing through it, and from this valley we debouched into the still more open granitic country at the foot of Mount Byng. The pass thus auspiciously discovered and opened, over a neck apparently the very lowest of the whole range, I named Expedition-pass, confident that such a line of communication between the southern coast and Sydney must, in the course of time, become a very considerable thoroughfare. The change of soil however introduced us to the old difficulty from which we had been happily relieved for some time, for we came once more upon rotten and boggy ground. We met with this unexpected impediment in an open-looking flat near a rivulet I was about to cross, when I found the surface so extremely soft and yielding that from the extreme resistance a bolt of the boat-carriage gave way, a circumstance which obliged us immediately to encamp although we had travelled only four miles.
EXCURSION TOWARDS PORT PHILLIP.
September 30.
Compelled thus to await the repair of the boat-carriage I determined to make an excursion to the lofty mountain mass which appeared about thirty miles to the southward, in order that I might connect my survey with Port Phillip, which I hoped to see thence. The horses were not found as soon as they were required, but when we at last got upon their backs we were therefore less disposed to spare them.
DISCOVER AND CROSS THE RIVER BARNARD.
We crossed some soft hollows during the first few miles, and then arrived on the banks of a small and deep river with reeds on its borders, and containing many broad and deep reaches. It was full and flowed, but not rapidly, towards the north-east, and it was not until we had continued along the left bank of this stream for a considerable way upwards that we found a rapid where we could cross without swimming. The left bank was of bold acclivity but grassy and clear of timber, being very level on the summit; and I found it consisted of trap-rock of the same vesicular character which I had observed in so many other parts of this southern region. Beyond the river (which I then named the Barnard) we first encountered a hilly country from which we emerged rather unexpectedly; for after crossing a small rivulet flowing in a deep and grassy dell where trap-rock again appeared, and ascending the opposite slope, we found that the summit consisted of an open level country of the finest description. It was covered with the best kind of grass and the immediate object of our ride, the mountain, was now visible beyond these rich plains. Some fine forest-hills arose in various directions to the right and left, and indeed I never saw a more pleasing or promising portion of territory. The rich open ground across which we rode was not without slight undulations; and when we had traversed about four miles of it we came quite unawares to a full and flowing stream, nearly on a level with its grassy banks; the bottom being so sound that we forded it without the least difficulty.
EMUS NUMEROUS AND TAME.
Emus were very numerous on the downs and their curiosity brought them to stare at our horses, apparently unconscious of the presence of the biped on their backs whom both birds and beasts seem instinctively to avoid. In one flock I counted twenty-nine emus, and so near did they come to us that, having no rifle with me, I was tempted to discharge even my pistol at one, although without effect. Kangaroos were equally numerous. Having proceeded three miles beyond the stream we came to another flowing to the westward between some very deep ponds, and it was probably a tributary to the first.