August 26. - At eight o'clock we proceeded on our course towards
Bathurst. The country throughout the day's journey was extremely hilly,
with steep descents into fine valleys, in every one of which was a
running stream. It appeared to me, that we were pursuing a course which,
intersecting the streams near their sources, rendered our road much more
irregular and difficult than it would have been either a few miles
farther westward, or even on the immediate banks of the river, the line
of which we several times saw during the day. The country north-east of
the river was very elevated and broken. The tops and sides of even the
most mountainous parts were covered with grass, and thinly clothed with
wood.
Many of the valleys were composed of extremely rich soil: the hills were
also generally good land and covered with grass; though there were
occasionally barren stony summits, and ridges producing nothing but iron
and stringy bark trees of diminutive growth. These tracts were however
too inconsiderable in extent, to be considered other than what ought
naturally to be expected in such an irregular tract as that which we
travelled over.
Had not the appearance of the country round the Macquarie, where we
first reached it, fully accounted for its magnitude, the course we have
pursued since would satisfactorily have explained the cause; it is in
point of fact a country of running waters: on every hill we found a
spring, and in every valley a rivulet, either flowing directly
north-east to the river, or taking a course westerly to join the river
in Wellington Vale. Of the waters that may fall into it from the
north-east we were of course ignorant, but the appearances of the
country indicated that they were at least as numerous as from the
south-west.
After proceeding a few miles, we halted for the night in an extensive
valley, watered by a rivulet running through it directly to the river,
from which I think we were distant six or seven miles.
August 27. - Nothing could be more delightful than the climate and the
temperature of the season.
At eight o'clock we took our road through a very rugged and broken
country. The glens were enclosed on either side by almost perpendicular
rocks, mostly slate of fine quality, mixed with coarse granite. In these
glens or defiles were fine running streams. The declivity and steepness
of the road delayed our progress, in seeking for better paths for the
horses; and after riding a few miles we came to the edge of a very steep
glen or valley, at the point of junction of two large streams, the
largest coming from the south-west, the other from the north-west. Both
united formed a very powerful stream, rushing with great impetuosity
over a rocky bottom, with frequent falls or rapids. The hills being on
both sides too steep even for the men to descend in safety, we were
obliged to pursue the ridge of them up the north-west river, until we
found a place where we could descend and cross, which we did about five
o'clock in the afternoon with considerable difficulty. So steep indeed
was the side on which we now were, that we could not find a level space
sufficient to pitch our tent upon. The rocks consisted chiefly of slate
and coarse granite intermixed. There appeared in each river to be more
water than usual; and marks of flood were visible at a height exceeding
eighteen feet.
Finding that we were entangled among the streams of the Macquarie, I
determined on the morrow to proceed by the mountains dividing the
north-west and south-west rivers; and if they should lead me
considerably westward before their junction, to cross the south-west
river, which, from its apparent direction and vicinity to Bathurst, I
considered to be the only stream of consequence which we should find
between our present station and that place.
Rugged and uneven as the country generally was during this day's
journey, there was considerable intermixture of the good with the
barren; many portions consisting of excellent pasture land, and even the
rocky hills were divested of the appearance of being so barren as they
actually are, by being covered with shrubs and grass intermingled among
the box and small gum trees, that find support between the interstices
of the stones.
August 28. - At eight o'clock we proceeded on our journey, and pursuing
the ridge which separated the two streams, we found that their general
direction was from the southward, opening, as we advanced, into fine
valleys, rounding gentle rising hills, thinly wooded and covered with
grass. The ridge itself was chiefly of slate-rock, intermixed with
masses of coarse siliceous granite. We followed the ridge for about six
miles, when we descended into the valley through which the south-west
rivulet ran, and after travelling about four miles farther, we crossed
it when it was running a strong stream. Waiting for the horses at this
spot, I took the opportunity of ascending a very lofty conical hill,
forming part of the range bounding the north-east side of the valley.
From this hill our hopes and expectations were gratified by a view of
Bathurst Plains, which I estimated to be distant about twenty-two
miles, bearing on the course we were pursuing. A Journal is but ill
calculated to be the record of the various hopes and fears, which
doubtless in some degree pervaded every mind upon this intelligence:
these feelings, whatever they might be, were soon to be realized, and
in an absence from our friends and connections of nineteen weeks how
much might have occurred in which we were all deeply interested!
After travelling about three miles farther, we stopped for the evening,
under expectations that we might possibly reach Bathurst on the morrow.
