INCREASING DIFFICULTIES OF ROUTE.  IMPASSABLE SANDSTONE RANGES.

The difficulties of the road continued to increase rapidly, and the dimensions of the ravine became so contracted that I hesitated whether I should not turn up another which branched off to the right; previously however to taking this step I sent a man forward to examine the one we were in; he soon returned and reported that it terminated in a high cascade a few hundred yards further on.  This intelligence confirming my previous opinion, I now moved up the ravine which came from the westward, but we had not proceeded for more than half a mile when the rugged nature of the country brought us to a complete stand; we found ourselves in a rocky area, bounded on all sides by cliffs, the only outlet from which was the path by which we had entered.  I therefore halted the party for breakfast whilst I prepared to ascend some lofty pinnacles which lay to the south of us.

The state of my wound rendered this exertion one of great pain and difficulty; I however accomplished it, and found myself on the top of a high rocky eminence which bore the appearance of having fallen into ruins; the prospect from it was cheerless in the extreme; to the north lay the rich valley country far below us, and to the south and east nothing could be seen but barren sandstone rocks and ranges rising one above the other until they met the horizon at no great distance from the eye; the only outlet, except the ravine by which we had approached, appeared to be by the westward, and I descended to the party in this direction to see if I could find a route from where they were to the terrace leading to that point.  I struck on a place up the cliffs where I imagined it possible to construct a road by which the ponies could ascend, and then returned to breakfast.

COUNTRY INACCESSIBLE FOR HORSES.

As soon as our scanty meal had been concluded all hands were employed in making this road; and sincerely did I pity the feeble men, whom I saw in the burning heat of a tropical sun, which was reflected with redoubled intensity from the bare sandstone rocks, toiling to displace large stones and obstacles which they had hardly sufficient strength to move; not a murmur however escaped them; they saw the necessity of the case and exerted their failing energies as readily as they had done when these were in full strength and vigour.  The road was at last made and we moved on to the westward, toiling for the remainder of the day amongst steep precipices of barren sandstone rocks and hills, utterly inaccessible to horses, till, finding our efforts to proceed useless, I at last turned the party about and halted them for the night just above where we had breakfasted; intending with the earliest dawn to renew my search for a pass by which we might cross this mountain range.

CHAPTER 10.  RETURN TO HANOVER BAY.

UNSUCCESSFUL SEARCH FOR A PASS.