This morning it rained heavily and there was a balmy and refreshing mildness in the air, probably owing to the vicinity of the sea. It occurred to me that, as the ground appeared to slope towards the south-east, we might reach some hollow on that side leading to the little river we discovered yesterday; and that such a hollow would afford the best chance of escape from the soft flats which now impeded us, since the drainage they afforded to the immediate banks was likely to leave them at least firm enough to be travelled upon. On this principle alone I understood why the ground on the banks of the stream seen yesterday was so firm; and I therefore hoped that the head of any ravine found near our camp would lead by a dry though perhaps circuitous route first to the tributary, and next by its bank to the point already mentioned where it joined the Glenelg. I accordingly instructed Mr. Stapylton to examine the ground in the direction proposed while I superintended the exertions of the party to drag the boat-carriage through the mud. We finally succeeded in this last effort and, just as I stood watching with joy the ascent of the carriage to the firm ground beyond, Mr. Stapylton came to me with the intelligence that he had found the head of a ravine and firm ground on its bank in the direction where he had been. One bad place alone intervened between our present position and the firm ground at the head of the ravine but this Mr. Stapylton said was very bad indeed. By 10 A.M. everything was got across the first swamp, the loads of all the carts having been carried by the men. To the new difficulty mentioned by Mr. Stapylton I therefore led them next, and we soon accomplished the passage of the light carts; after which I proceeded, leaving to Mr. Stapylton the management of the rest, having first brought the boat-carriage within reach of the firm ground opposite by means of blocks and tackle attached to trees and drawn by five bullocks. On going forward with the carts I was guided altogether by the course of the ravine or gully, keeping along the fall of the ground and so avoiding the softer soil above. Thus we proceeded successfully for, although another ravine came in our way, I managed to travel round its head near which I found a place where we crossed the small watercourse it contained by filling up the chasm with logs. On passing this we entered the stringybark forest which I had traversed on the day previous; and I at length recognised through the trees the hill from which I had seen the junction of the streams. A tremendous hailstorm met us in the face just as we descended to encamp in the valley near the bank of the river, but this troubled us but little while we were up to the waist in the thickest crop of grass growing on the richest black soil I had ever seen. Mr. Stapylton and Burnett came up in the evening with the intelligence that the whole party had effected a safe passage across the swampy ground; but that the wheels of the