POPULATION OF ITS BANKS.--INTERVIEW WITH THE TRIBES.--CORDIAL
RECEPTION.--CROSS THE BALONNE,--AND REACH THE CULG.--CIVILITY OF THE
NATIVES.--CROSS THE CULG.--TRAVEL UP ALONG THE RIGHT BANK OF THE
BALONNE.--GRASSY PLAINS ALONG ITS BANKS.--THE OLD DELAY, CATTLE
MISSING.--A NATIVE SCAMP.--SPLENDID REACHES OF THE RIVER.--DEPOT CAMP AT
A NATURAL BRIDGE.--RIDE TO THE NORTHWEST.--RECEIVE DISPATCHES FROM
SYDNEY.--RETURN TO THE CAMP AT ST. GEORGE'S BRIDGE.

5TH MARCH.--Early this morning the stockman brought over two natives,
brothers, who were to guide us to water ten miles on towards the Narran,
which was said to be thirty-five miles off. In the first two miles we
passed over some soft ground. Further on, hills were visible to the left,
which our native guides called Goodeingora. Fragments of conglomerate
rocks appeared in the soil of the plains, pebbles and grains of quartz
cemented by felspar. These plains appeared to become undulating ground as
we proceeded northward, and the surface became firmer. At length the
country opened into slight undulations, well clothed with grass, and good
for travelling over, the soil being full of the same hard rock found on
the rising grounds nearest to the Darling, in the lowest parts of that
river explored formerly by me. The red earth seemed to be but the
decomposed matrix of that rock, as the water-worn pebbles of quartz so
thickly set therein, here covered the ground in some places so thickly as
to resemble snow. Much Anthistiria and other good grasses grew on those
plains. I was, indeed, most agreeably surprised at the firm undulating
stony surface and open character of the country, where I had expected to
see soft clay, and holes and scrubs. At six miles, other slight
elevations appeared to the N. E. which the natives called Toolowly, a
name well calculated to fix in white men's memory elevations TOO LOW to
be called hills. They were quite high enough, however, along a line of
route for such heavy drays as those following us. There appeared much
novelty in the trees on this side the Darling. The ANGOPHORA LANCEOLATA
was every where; Callitris grew about the base of the hills, and some
very singular acacias, a long-leaved grey kind of wattle, the ACACIA
STENOPHYLLA of Cunningham. On one tree large pods hung in such profusion
as to bend the branches to the ground. From this abundance I supposed it
was not good to be eaten; nevertheless, I found in another place many of
the same pods roa