It Took Us The Whole Day To Transport Our Party, Cattle, And
Provisions Over The River, And The Operation Was Not Concluded Before
Sunset; But, As It Was A Fine Moonlight Night, I Determined To Start,
However Short My First Stage Might Be.
Fortunately, my friends had lent
me a bullock dray to convey a portion of our stores as far as Darling
Downs; but, having purchased a light spring cart, it was also loaded;
and, flattering myself that we should proceed comfortably and rapidly, I
gave orders to march.
After much continued difficulty in urging and
assisting our horses to drag the cart through the boggy road, we arrived,
at about one o'clock in the morning, at Cowper's Plains, about ten miles
from Brisbane.
I now found my cart an impediment to our movements; but, as it had been
an expensive article, I did not despair of its becoming more useful after
passing the boggy country. A few days afterwards, however, an accident
settled the question; the horses ran away with it, and thereby the shaft
was broken, and the spring injured, so that I was compelled to leave it;
which I then did most cheerfully, as it is always easier to man to yield
to necessity, than to adopt an apparently inconvenient measure by his own
free will. The load was removed to pack-horses, and we proceeded with
comparative ease to Mr. Campbell's station, enjoying the hospitality of
the settlers as we passed on, and carrying with us their best wishes.
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