John H. W. Pettit letters to his family in England, illustrated with sketches by the writer, 1852-1868 - Page 241
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It required a terrible stout heart to tackle some of it - And one must keep wide awake too - The compass is of but little use only for general bearing being obliged always to follow the ridges as it is totally impossible to cross them - It is most difficult to tell whether one is on a main spur or only a branch from it - as many of the minor [word crossed] out are much higher than the principal one = to trace them all would take [crossed out] occupy a less time. It is most disheartening after clearing and fighting along for two or 3 days to find the spur terminating in a huge perpendicular Bluff - I have often known myself to be within a mile of a place I wanted to make could hear the water roaring [word crossed out] amongst the Rocks but it has taken almost a day to [word crossed out] reach it
# I had some great fun one of my trips I [?] ones a very knowing young fellow who was boasting of his knowledge of the Country - to take a cut across with me as he was going down country He [?] would not take [?] longer agreed and told me if I would take him to a certain point he would have me through in the time. I doubted the fact immensely knowing that some portion of country was very fearfully rough. I took him to the point & off he started. One day [?] day passed no sign of getting out. The next he was getting into a regular fidget for I knew he had an appointment to meet his Lady Love for some pleasure excursion. The second day after and knowing the cause of his anxiety you may believe I was much amused. He got so excited at last that I was obliged to stop him as he was regularly as [?] knock the [?] up and continuously [?] coming back some [?] neighbourhood - [word crossed out] become frightened at last and asked me what on earth we should do that we were lost - [word crossed out] which [?] enough - I [?]
you more seen a chap so crestfallen - after [?] him over pretty considerably I took the lead