stance of ten or twelve miles west
of it. They, however, partly formed a small range, and belonged to an
extensive tract of sandstone country; which, on the south, was broken
into gullies, falling towards the river. Thermometer, at sunrise, 27 deg.; at
noon, 54 deg.; at 4 P. M., 55 deg.; at 9, 30 deg..

22D MAY.--This morning, the thermometer in my tent stood at 20 deg.; and in
the open air, at 12 deg.. The river was frozen, and the grass was white with
hoar-frost. The soil appearing so sandy in the country before us, I
resolved to form a depot with our drays and heavy equipment here, and to
await their arrival before I proceeded further with the carts. The spot
was eligible in every respect; and in awaiting the arrival of Mr. Kennedy
with the drays, I could have time to investigate more extensively the
character of the surrounding country. I was, indeed, rather apprehensive
that the drays could not reach without difficulty even this point; and I
was resolved, on their arrival, to make some arrangement for continuing
the journey, without dragging them any further through the heavy sand. It
was most irksome, during the finest of weather, thus to be obliged to
remain comparatively inactive, in the middle of such a journey, when
horses and light carts might have enabled me to have pursued it to a
conclusion, without such delays. Thermometer, at noon, 54 deg.; at 4 P. M.,
55 deg.; at 9, 27 deg..

23D MAY.--The river seemed to cut its way through rocky ranges, and to
receive many tributaries; had, in some places, bergs, and margins of
ancient gravel and sedimentary strata; in others, rocky escarps of great
height, presented sections of rocks through which it passed. Its further
course downwards, seemed accessible for some way from this camp; and, in
awaiting the arrival of the drays, I resolved to explore it. With this
view, I this day proceeded westward to head the gullies falling to it
from the other bank, from the sandstone country already mentioned. I
ascended by an extremity of the hill, to the rocky crest without
difficulty, or much deviation from my intended course. On reaching the
western side of the rough scrubby table of the range, I found the descent
gradual, through an open forest: traversed two flats, having in them the
Yarra gums, but no water-course, the surface very sandy. Here grew the
ACACIA CONFERTA, a small shrub just coming into flower; the XANTHORRHOEA
MIMOSA (with rough bark), yellow gum, black-butted