o explore the country
beyond Mount Owen. From its base I observed some open forest land, and a
less broken country, in a direction much further to the westward than the
course I had previously selected, which was N.N.W. I now proceeded W.N.W.
towards that open forest land. We found the country open for some miles,
then, entering a flat or valley, I descended gradually between sandstone
rocks, to a valley in which a chain of deep ponds led to the north-west.
On following this down, I found it turned more and more to the westward,
and at length to the south-west, whereupon I quitted its bed and cliffy
banks, and, following up a ravine from the other side, again endeavoured
to pursue my intended course. We crossed, at the head of the ravine, a
sandstone range, and descended by another valley which led first
northward, but terminated in joining a spacious grassy flat with dry
ponds in it. I endeavoured to trace this downwards for several miles in a
rainy evening, and found at last, to my disappointment, that this also
turned to the S.W. This flat was broad and hemmed in by low rocky points
of ground, of very uniform shape. Many marks of natives appeared on the
trees, and, in good seasons, it must be one of their favourite spots. I
left it, however, when darkness and heavy rain obliged me to look for
shelter in a gloomy forest to the westward. By the time we arrived at
this, we could see no grassy spot for our horses, nor any sort of cover
for ourselves. Douglas found, at length, a fallen tree, and under this,
covered with a few boughs, we lay down on the wet earth for the night,
being ourselves as wet, yet wanting withal, water for ourselves and
horses. Thermometer, at sunrise, 54 deg.; at noon, 69 deg.; at 4 P.M., 67 deg.; at 9,
57 deg..

21ST JUNE.--The rain had abated to my great disappointment, for we should
have been amply compensated for wet jackets, by the sight of well filled
ponds of water, the want of which was the great impediment to this
journey. The sky was still overcast, and the wet bushes were unavoidable.
On I travelled north-west, until we approached some fine open forest
hills, the bare tops of which, just visible from the foot of Mount Owen,
had first drawn me in that direction. One tempting peak induced me to
approach it, and to think of an ascent. In a rugged little water-course
in its bosom, we found water enough for our horses, the product of last
night's rain. The view from the summit, made up for th