rom which it is evident Mr. Cunningham entertained Mr.
Oxley's views of the character and nature of the Western interior.
Towards the conclusion of the narrative, the author thus observes:--

"Of the probable character of the distant unexplored interior, into
which it has been ascertained ALL the rivers falling westerly from the
dividing ranges flow, some inference may be drawn from the following
data.

"Viewing, between the parallels of 34 degrees and 27 degrees, a vast
area of depressed interior, subjected in seasons of prolonged rains to
partial inundation, by a dispersion of the several waters that flow
upon it from the eastern mountains whence they originate; and bearing
in mind at the same time, that the declension of the country within the
above parallels, as most decidedly shown by the dip of its several
rivers, is uniformly to the N.N.W. and N.W., it would appear very
conclusive, that either a portion of our distant interior is occupied
by a lake of considerable magnitude, or that the confluence of those
large streams, the Macquarie, Castlereagh, Gwydir, and the Dumaresq,
with the many minor interfluent waters, which doubtless takes place
upon those low levels, forms one or more noble rivers, which may flow
across the continent by an almost imperceptible declivity of country to
the north of north-west coasts, on certain parts of which, recent
surveys have discovered to us extensive openings, by which the largest
accumulations of waters might escape to the sea."

CHARACTER OF THE RIVERS.

It is the characteristic of the streams falling westerly from the
eastern, or coast ranges, to maintain a breadth of channel and a
rapidity of current more immediately near their sources, that ill
accords with their diminished size, and the sluggish flow of their
waters in the more depressed interior. In truth, neither the Macquarie
nor the Castlereagh can strictly be considered as permanent rivers. The
last particularly is nothing more than a mountain torrent. The
Macquarie, although it at length ceased to run, kept up the appearance
of a river to the very marshes; but the bed of the Castlereagh might
have been crossed in many places without being noticed, nor did its
channel contain so much water as was to be found on the neighbouring
plains.

There are two circumstances upon which the magnitude, and velocity of a
river, more immediately depend. The first is the abundance of its
sources, the other the dip of its bed.