- About one o'clock the weather cleared up a little, when Lewis
with the boat-builder's party set out on their return to Bathurst,
taking with them three of the worst of the horses, and leaving with us
nineteen. The river rose but little during the day: it is quite high
enough for our purpose. A new species of fish was caught, having four
smellers above and four under the mouth; the hind part of it resembled
an eel; it had one dorsal fin, and four other fins, with a white belly;
it measured twenty-one inches and a half, and weighed about two pounds
three quarters.
June 6. - Proceeded down the river about four miles, when the boats were
finally laden. The river in Wellington Valley had been swelled by the
late rains, insomuch that the water below its junction with the
Macquarie was quite discoloured. From the fineness of the soil, the rain
had made the ground very soft, rendering it difficult for the horses to
travel.
June 7. - Proceeded on our journey, both boats and horses being very
heavily laden with our stores and provisions. The river rose but
little. Our day's journey lay generally over an open forest country,
with rich flats on either side of the river: high rocky limestone hills
ended occasionally in abrupt points, obliging the horses to make
considerable detours. The hills were very stony, and so light was the
soil upon them, that the rain rendered the ground very soft.
