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.
I was fortunate in exchanging my broken cart for three good travelling
bullocks, and afterwards purchased five draft-bullocks, which we
commenced to break in for the pack-saddle; for I had by this time
satisfied myself that we could not depend upon the horses for carrying
our load. Neither my companions nor myself knew much about bullocks, and
it was a long time before we were reconciled to the dangerous vicinity of
their horns. By means, however, of iron nose-rings with ropes attached,
we obtained a tolerable command over their movements; and, at last, by
dint of habit, soon became familiar with, and even got attached to, our
blunt and often refractory COMPAGNONS DE VOYAGE.
By a present from Messieurs Campbell and Stephens of four young steers
and one old bullock, and of a fat bullock from Mr. Isaacs, our stock of
cattle consisted now of 16 head: of horses we had 17: and our party
consisted of ten individuals. Of provisions - we had 1200 lbs. of flour:
200 lbs. of sugar: 80 lbs. of tea: 20 lbs. of gelatine: and other
articles of less consideration, but adding much to our comfort during the
first few weeks of our journey. Of ammunition - we had about 30 pounds of
powder, and 8 bags of shot of different sizes, chiefly of No. 4 and No.
6. Every one, at my desire, had provided himself with two pair of strong
trowsers, three strong shirts, and two pair of shoes; and I may further
remark that some of us were provided with Ponchos, made of light strong
calico, saturated with oil, which proved very useful to us by keeping out
the wet, and made us independent of the weather; so that we were well
provided for seven months, which I was sanguine enough to think would be
a sufficient time for our journey. The result proved that our
calculations, as to the provisions, were very nearly correct; for even
our flour, much of which was destroyed by accident, lasted to the end of
May, the eighth month of our journey; but, as to the time it occupied, we
were very much deceived.
Our riding-saddles and pack-saddles were made of good materials, but they
were not fitted to the horses' backs, which caused a constant
inconvenience, and which would not have happened, had my means allowed me
to go to a greater expense.
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