Ihadbroughtupatinkettlewithme。Thiswasagreatcomfortandacquisition，forbeforewehadnothinglargerthanpintpannikinstofetchupwaterinfromthecreek;thiswasallverywellbydaylight，butinthedarkthehundredyardsfromthehuttothecreekwerenoeasytravellingwithapannikinineachhand。Thegroundwasverystony，andcoveredwithburntIrishmanscrub，againstwhich（theIrishmanbeingblackandcharred，andconsequentlyinvisibleinthedark）Iwascontinuallystumblingandspillinghalfthewater。Therewasaterrace，too，sothatweseldomarrivedwithmuchmorethanhalfapannikin，andthekettlewasanimmensestepinadvance。TheIrishmancalleditvery\"beneficial，\"ashecalledeverythingthatpleasedhim。Hewasagreatcharacter：heusedto\"destroy\"hisfood，noteatit。IfIaskedhimtohaveanymorebreadormeat，hewouldsay，withperfectseriousness，thathehad\"destroyedenoughthistime。\"Hehadmanyotherquaintexpressionsofthissort，buttheydidnotservetomakethehutwater-
tight，andIwashalfregretfullyobligedtosendhimawayashorttimeafterwards。
Thewinter’sexperiencesatisfiedmethatthecountrythatH——andIhadfoundwouldnotdoforsheep，unlessworkedinconnectionwithmorethatwasclearofsnowthroughouttheyear。Assoon，therefore，asIwasconvincedthattheadjacentcountrywassafe，Iboughtit，andsettleduponitingoodearnest，abandoningtheVhut。Ididsowithsomeregret，forwehadgoodfareenoughinit，andIratherlikedit;wehadonlystonesforseats，butwemadesplendidfires，andgotfreshandcleansnow-grasstolieon，anddriedthefloorwithwood-ashes。Thenweconfinedthesnow-grasswithincertainlimitsbymeansofacoupleofpoleslaiduponthegroundandfixedintotheirplaceswithpegs;thenweputupseveralslingstohangoursaddle-bags，tea，sugar，salt，bundles，etc。;thenwemadeahorseforthesaddles——fourriding-saddlesandapack-saddle——andunderneaththiswentourtoolsatoneendandourculinaryutensils，limitedbutveryeffective，attheother。Havingmadeitneatwekeptitso，andofanightitworeanaspectofcomfortquitedomestic，eventothecat，whichwouldcomeinthroughaholeleftinthethatcheddoorforherespecialbenefit，andpurraregularhurricane。Weblessedherbothbydayandbynight，forwesawnoratsaftershecame;andgreatexcitementprevailedwhen，threeweeksafterherarrival，sheaddedalitterofkittenstoourestablishment。
CHAPTERVII
LoadingDray——Bullocks——WantofRoads——BanksPeninsula——FrontandBackRangesofMountains——River-beds——OriginofthePlains——Terraces——Tutu——