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22 would give way, and so they separated. The captain Was either the less obstinate or the more mistrustful of his hush powers, as he contrived to wheel round into the track of the other, and a sulky reconciliation took place. After leaving the river they journeyed four days west south-west. Their carts were a great nuisance in so im practicable a country as that in which they found themselves, and they were, therefore, abandoned in a creek. For seventy miles these travellers penetrated a very rough district, and then sighted the majestic Snowy Alps. This was the first great reward for their toil. Entangled among the hilly spurs, they turned a little westward, and after eighty miles approached a rapid stream. This was called the Hume, after the father of the explorer, and which was subsequently shown to he the head waters of Sturt’s Murray. It was crossed above the junction of the Mitta Mitta, near Albury, on November 16th. When upon the brink of that Alpine tributary of the Murray, another contention arose; Hume would cross the river, Hovell would not. Separation ensued as before ; and, as before, Hovell fell again into the ranks. Thirty miles brought the party to a river named the Ovens, after the Governor’s secretary. A southward course of 110 miles conducted them to a beautiful water channel, called the Hovell or Twisden, now the Goulburn. Beset among the scrubby gullies of our Dividing Chain, they were driven to the westward in the neigh bourhood of a hill, which thence received the name of Disappoint ment. A noble mount came in view, and was called Westworth, after the celebrated Sydney orator and politician. A dozen years after it was re-discovered and ascended by Major Mitchell, and by him dis tinguished as Mount Macedon. Messrs. Hume and Hovell crossed the Dividing Range near the Big Hill, December 13th. Three days after they were by the sea side. The natives told them the waters were called Geelong. Then a noise was heard like distant cannon, and the blacks gave them to understand that a ship had visited the Bay. Thus far the journey had beeu successfully performed. They had, for the first time, crossed the territory of Port Phillip, and had reached the southern waters. But there arose another question of strife. What was that Bay ? Hovell was sure it was Western Port; Hume was as sure it was Port Phillip. A lively altercation took place to the disgust of their followers. Hume elsewere tells us his reasons for asserting the native Geelong to he a part of Port Phillip. Before his departure on this expedition he had received some instructions from
