Page:Australia, from Port Macquarie to Moreton Bay.djvu/106

 presence in Sydney necessary, in the beginning of the year 1841, I had engaged a passage on board one of the small vessels which load in the MacLeay river, with cedar for the Sydney market This vessel, taking advantage of a favourable wind one morning, had crossed the bar and put out to sea, whilst I was absent with my blacks in the whaleboat. Having gone out to sea with my black crew to attempt to join the vessel, a strong north-easterly wind drove us back, and as a tremendous surf was breaking on the shore, we got upset on entering the breakers. We narrowly escaped getting dashed on the rocks, as the wind had driven us very near a rocky headland on which the sea was breaking very heavily, and after we had swam to the shore, I found the boat was shattered from stem to stern. Having previously sent my clothes on board the vessel which had sailed, and there being no other, either at the MacLeay or at Port Macquarie, I returned to my tents, and determined to ride across the country to the river Hunter, from whence steamers proceed every day to Sydney. Accordingly, on the next day, (April 18th), I ordered my horse to be saddled, and started off alone from my tents towards the fords of the MacLeay, near Steele's cattle station. I arrived there about two o'clock, and crossed the river at the ford below the junction of Dongai creek with the MacLeay. I now rode up Dongai creek to MacLeod's station, which is situated on the banks of this stream. A large patch