STILL RETARDED BY THE SOFT SOIL. September 2. We travelled as much in a north-east direction as the ground permitted but, although I should most willingly have followed the connecting features whatever their directions, I could not avoid the passage of various swamps or boggy soft hollows in which the carts and more especially the boat-carriage, notwithstanding the greatest exertions on the part of the men, again sank up to the axles. I had proceeded with the light carts and one heavy cart nearly nine miles while the boat-carriage fell at least six miles behind me, the other heavy carts having also been retarded from the necessity for yoking additional teams to the cattle drawing the boats. The weather was still unsettled and the continued rains had at length made the surface so soft that even to ride over it was in many places difficult. I had reached some fine forest land on the bank of a running stream where the features were bolder, and I hoped to arrive soon at the good country near the head of the Wannon. I encamped without much hope that the remainder of the party could join us that night and they in fact did remain six miles behind. I had never been more puzzled in my travels than I was with respect to the nature of the country before us then. Mount Napier bore 74 degrees East of North distant about 16 miles. The little rivulet was flowing northward, and yet we had not reached the interior side of that elevated though swampy ground dividing the fine valleys we had seen further westward from the country sloping towards the sea. LEAVE ONE OF THE BOATS, AND REDUCE THE SIZE OF THE BOAT CARRIAGE. September 3.