John H. W. Pettit letters to his family in England, illustrated with sketches by the writer, 1852-1868 - Page 39

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in the consequence of the Wet, the Carter refused to proceed until the roads were dried out a little.  all but Tofus went for a ramble - Thos. [Thomas} Slack & myself remained at Home to take care of the Tent - during the morning we had a strong breeze of wind, coming up in a few minutes shaking our light fabrics all to pieces - they soon began to get adrift & flap angrily -  We were soon obliged to get them down by the sun[?] & sit on them sharp [?] to prevent their being blown away - There we sat all alone in our glory holding on the lighter articles like grim death in [?] get up - this afforded us amusement for a about ½ an hour - a little rain accompanied the wind just to keep our courage [?] cool  -  at about 12 oclock [o'clock] the sun & wind dried the roads slightly, we again got under weigh [way]  -  descending the hill in our conveyance [?] which there was a curve & and the dray made as much leeway {slipping} as it is cata[?] [?] the hill.  We met the Gold Escort, a light carriage with a few mounted armed guards going at a sharp trot  -  We crossed Keeler Plains during the afternoon, plenty of wind, hail and rain [?] and way as out in & [?] shelter - towards the end of our journey for this day we passed sgt [?] Bullock dray stuck part [indecipherable] sunk in the mud & the body's lying flat on the the surface but little chance of their getting any further that night - { 6 or 8 beasts to each dray} - the driver slashing & [?] in style - I think no class of men in existence [?] so much, or has such volleys of original as the at their command as bullocks drivers - they have to dig their drays get out as they can.  At times when the roads are very bad with winter time the cattle get stuck fast as well & are very frequently left to their fate to die.  We saw sevl [several] carcasses on our way up, & this was in height of summer, what they are in the middle of winter I can hardly form an idea.  We camped that night at a place named 'Hagan's Gap' just over the before mentioned plains { the [indecipherable] of  B. Rangers}  [?] about 14 Miles today -
The next morning we were off early passing at times over small plains up hills & down - sometimes no more in a thickly wooded part, then all at once we would open a most extensive splendid view.   Mountains in the distance  -  that night we brought tog [together?] near a public Ho. [house] named the 'Bush Inn'.   Within a mile or 2 of the Black Forest. being Xmas Eve some of us started off to the above Inn & purchased some fresh meat - While taking a round to search of waste a stick to a set stick for our [indecipherable] - felling a tree with some good straight branches.  I found a long, straight, tapering light pole pointed at both ends, lodged amongst the branches, it was a straight round as if turned out of a Carpenter's shop - many were the speculations in respect to - [indecipherable] it as very dry [?] with a kind of [?] We were almost inclined to think of it as a weapon of defence of some of the black gentlemen - it made a good stick or two for us.  The next morng [morning] Xmas day, we were off early, passed the 'Bush Inn' just beyond which we came to a most fearful hill, up which our load [?] - we had a most difficult job to get to mount it. - We were [words crossed out] afraid We should be obliged to unload our Dray & back up a part at a time -  however We made a dash all holding on to keep our conveyance from turning over [indecipherable].  Round near the foot of a Mountn [mountain] called Mount Macedon - a lofty rocky mount covered with trees the Carter [?] told us it [was?] the road to it [?} as about 10 miles: We made the Black Forest early in the forenoon - Which occupied
saw Mount Alexander in the distance