Page:Australia, from Port Macquarie to Moreton Bay.djvu/111

 Being without a companion, I unsaddled my horse, and tethered him on some young grass; then collecting some wood, I made a large fire. After making a solitary meal on some biscuits and a flask of wine, which I carried in my saddle bags, I laid down to sleep. Being very lightly clothed in a blouse and summer trousers, I awoke shivering with cold after a short sleep, as the fire had burnt itself out, for want of fresh fuel. I therefore got up, and groping about in the dark in search of some more wood, I soon made a roaring blaze again. My next doze was interrupted rather suddenly; for it seemed that as my second fire diminished, I had insensibly crept nearer to it in my sleep, until the straggling ends of my neckerchief became ignited and blazed into my face.

April 20th.—Having breakfasted and watered my horse, I put on his saddle, and continued my journey. I now crossed a succession of short heavily wooded ranges, covered with fern and wiry grass, and separated by brushy hollows, containing gravelly water-courses. On crossing the range bounding the basin of the river Hastings, I at length entered a deeper brush of a more alluvial character, and encountered a large stream which flows into Camden Haven inlet. The brush of this creek was diversified by an abundance of bangolo palms, fern-trees, and large flooded gum-trees. After crossing it I entered on another tract of country of similar features to that on the north side of Camden creek, the low