o which Mr. Oxley's boat had been
burnt. To his surprise, he found the needle affected; and his bearings
were all wrong. I subsequently went up to ascertain the extent of the
error produced, and found it precisely the same as Mr. Hume noticed.
When I placed the compass on the rock, Mount Foster bore from me N. by
W., the true bearing of the one hill from the other being N.N.W. My
placing my notebook under the compass did not alter the effect, nor did
the card move until I raised the instrument a couple of feet above the
stone, when it first became violently agitated, and then settled
correctly; and my bearings of the highest parts of Arbuthnot's Range,
and of its centre, were as follows:

Mount Exmouth to the N ...... N. 86 E.
Centre....................... N. 85 E.
Vernon's Peak................ N. 89 E.
Distance 70 miles.

Having finished my reports and letters, it became necessary to consider
the best point on which to move, and to fix a day for our departure
from Mount Harris. It struck me that having found so important a
feature as the Darling River, the Governor would approve my
endeavouring to regain it more to the southward, in order to trace it
down. I, therefore, detached Mr. Hume to survey the country in that
direction, and to ascertain if a descent upon the Bogen district would
be practicable, through which I had been informed a considerable river
forced itself. The report he made on his return was such as to deter me
from that attempt, but he stated that the country for 30 miles from the
Macquarie was well watered, and superior to any he had passed over
during the journey; beyond that distance, it took up the character of
the remote interior, and alternated with plains and brush, the soil
being too sandy to retain water on its surface. He saw some hills from
the extremity of his journey, bearing by compass W.S.W. We consequently
determined to make for the Castlereagh, agreeably to our instructions.
Preparations were made for breaking up the camp, all the various
arrangements in the change of animals were completed, the boat carriage
was exchanged for a dray, and I took Boyle in the place of Norman,
whose timidity in the bush rendered him unfit for service.

CIRCUIT OF THE GREAT MARSHES.

There is a small hill on the opposite side of the river, and
immediately facing Mount Harris, and to the S.E. of it there is a small
lagoon, the head of a creek, by means of which its superfluous waters
are carr