ng timber, but in every
way resembled a discharge of a heavy piece of ordnance. On this all
were agreed, but no one was certain whence the sound proceeded. Both
Mr. Hume and myself had been too attentive to our occupation to form a
satisfactory opinion; but we both thought it came from the N.W. I sent
one of the men immediately up a tree, but he could observe nothing
unusual. The country around him appeared to be equally flat on all
sides, and to be thickly wooded: whatever occasioned the report, it
made a strong impression on all of us; and to this day, the singularity
of such a sound, in such a situation, is a matter of mystery to me.

FURTHER ATTEMPT TO EXPLORE THE RIVER.

On the 8th, we commenced our journey down the river, accompanied by two
men, and a pack-horse, carrying our provisions on one side and a bucket
of water on the other. Keeping in general near the stream, but making
occasional turns into the plains, we got to the brush from which the
party had turned back, about 3 p.m. Passing through, we crossed a small
plain, of better soil and vegetation than usual; but it soon gave place
to the sandy loam of the interior; nor did we observe any material
alteration, either in the country or the river, as we rode along. The
flooded-gum trees on the banks of the latter, were of beautiful growth,
but in the brushes dividing the plains, box and other eucalypti, with
cypresses and many minor shrubs, prevailed. We slept on the river side,
and calculated our distance from the camp at about twenty-six or
twenty-eight miles.

The horses would not drink the river water, so that we were obliged to
give them a pint each from our own supply. On the following morning we
continued our journey. The country was generally open to the eastward,
and we had fine views of D'Urban's Group, distant from twenty to
twenty-five miles. About noon, turning towards the river to rest, both
ourselves and the horses, we passed through brush land for about a mile
and a half. When we came upon its banks, we found them composed of a
red loam with sandy superficies. We had, in the course of the day,
crossed several creeks, but in none of them could we find water,
although their channels were of great depth.

The day had been extremely warm, and from shaking in the barrel our
supply of water had diminished to a little more than a pint; it
consequently became a matter of serious consideration, how far it would
be prudent to proceed farther; for, ho