We left “_Sidmouth Valley_” early on the following morning, through a good bush-road, and arrived at a portion of thinly-timbered country, having a character of park scenery, abounding in fine herbage. This brought us almost immediately upon a cattle station, the property of Capt. P. P. King, R.N. There was no one in the hut, so, after feeding our horses, we again proceeded; and, after a four miles ride, arrived at a cattle station, belonging to Mr. Scarvell, called “_Brisbane Valley_,” although from its quality and locality, “_swamp_” would have been a more correct nomenclature. From this station our road led by a bush-path between wooded hills, and through miserable swamps famed for the loss of an immense number of sheep, until we arrived at a place called “_Squashfield_,” and never was a more appropriate name bestowed upon a locality; for although the vegetation, springing up from the swamps, gave a fresh, fertile, and even beautiful appearance to the place, yet the moist, chilly, and raw atmosphere, could excite no other ideas than those connected with rheumatisms, catarrhs, and analogous diseases, to which cold and damp will subject the human frame. From the lateness of the hour we took up our night’s lodging in the hut at this station, where every thing was done to make us as comfortable as possible. Squashfield was, for the present, rented by Mr. Imlay, as a cattle station. This place is an extensive range of swampy flats, of fertile appearance, which was the cause of its being first selected as a sheep station, and its bright features, when the young grass is springing up, charmed many into severe losses; for, not taking into calculation the quality of the soil, or the adaptation of the place for a sheep-run, numerous flocks were placed upon it, and the result was, before any long period had elapsed, the loss of the whole from rot; and yet, notwithstanding these facts more sheep were subsequently placed on the same spot, and, as might have been expected, with similar results, from the damp and swampy nature of the situation. Even now the stock-keepers stated that cattle could not remain about the place, but wander away to more congenial pasturage in other parts of the country. We rose at day light to continue our journey; a hoar frost whitened the ground, and the atmosphere was exceedingly cold and damp: even our horses were impatient to leave this uncongenial spot, having been left by themselves during the night; for every animal, except those in confinement, which had been collected together with much trouble the previous day, were all reported absent without leave on the following morning.