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to send me the news by express that Barber had sawed of his irons and had escaped from the prison where he was confined at [?] I answered the letter in the evening - The carpenter shot two [?] this afternoon.
Saturday 3rd Dec. Mound off at 7 O'ck. Crossed several deep gallies from neighbourhood of the Burning Hill, but the road continued well marked - at length we began to ascend by a tongue the range which commits the hills of the Wingen with Merryland and the Liverpool Range - On reaching the summit we looked over on Wingen but little smoke arose from it. - The ground is favorably a good road across this range - beyond which we came on the upper part of Pages River - which waters a valley of considerable extent when the road reaches it - & containing good soil - There a grant of Mr Whalan's here, - The cattle were much fatigued with the ascent of the range which as long & steep in places - : the heat also fatigued the men - I therefore encamped on raching Pages River at 4 o'clock. Therm.r. at sunset 80º. - in the valley the extremities from the mountains are of long & gradual decline with good grass. The grass in the valley at this time as much eaten up by [?] There babbling brooks water the glat at this part - one being called the River Page or Macqueen's River - the other the Creek - The space between then is flat and apparently alluvial soil of excellent quality.
Sunday 4 Dec.r. Mound of at 1/2 past seven and eached by 11 o'clock the range to Liverpool Plains - the distance we came was about 6 miles; this Rock was the point which I wished to gain yesterday having been informed that it is within two miles of the [?] part of the range to be crossed - and as the cattle were fatigued & the day Sunday - I proceeded no futher - On riding a little further I fell in with a tribe of blacks from Pewen Bewen on Dart Brook - some of whom afterwards visitied our tents. The whole of this valley is good land, and there appears to be excellent sheep pasturage on the surrounding mountains - We have still Mt Merryland in view making a circuit of it - so that from the form it took, [?] knew when it was in a line between us and the Burning Hill of Wingen - Yesterday on counting up all [?] we gound we had 130 days rations of flour & other articles - This meaning the carpenter shot two ducks -