pyramids,
and I saw an open country beyond them, from which other summits of
extraordinary form seemed to emerge. Yet we had found no moisture in the
ponds, and lamented that a country, in every other respect so fine,
should be without water. Further on, I perceived reeds in the hollow of
the valley, and Yuranigh said there must be a spring, upon which he
walked in amongst them, but still found the earth dry. The reeds at
length covered an extensive flat, and looked, at the lower part of the
flat, so green, that I sent Corporal Graham to examine that point. He
emerged from the reeds with a face that, at a distance, made Douglas, my
other man, say, "He has found water." He had found A RUNNING STREAM, to
which he had been guided by its own music, and taking a tin pot, he
brought me some of it. The water was clear and sparkling, tasting
strongly of sulphur, and Yuranigh said that this was the head of a river
that NEVER DRIED UP. In this land of picturesque beauty and pastoral
abundance, within eighty miles of the tropics, we had discovered the
first running stream seen on this journey. I returned, determined to
bring the party thus far, and with the intention of passing that night
where we had found water in a rock about six miles back, that we might
sooner reach the camp next day. At that spot we had also the benefit of a
cavern, before which, a good fire being made, we defied the frost of a
very cold night, the thermometer having been registered at the camp, at 3
A.M., as low as 7 deg.. In the scrubs we had passed through in the morning, a
variety of the ACACIA PODALYRIIFOLIA, with grey velvety leaves, was
scarcely in flower; and I observed a beautiful new species of STENOCHILUS
with large tubular flowers.[*] The ACACIA FALCATA appeared also on the
sandstone ground above the gullies, and a broad-leaved form of the
EREMOPHILA MITCHELLII. The moon shone brightly, and the rock being full
of silver mica, the splendour of the scene imparted to my eye and mind
then a degree of gratification far beyond any associations of the richest
furniture of a palace. We found it impossible to get our horses to the
water; but we hit upon an expedient which answered even better than a
bucket,--my Mackintosh cloak.

[* S. CURVIPES (Benth. MS.) glaber, foliis lanceolatis integerrimis basi
in petiolum angustatis pedicellis recurvis, calycis foliolis latis
acuminatis, corollae glabrae ventricosae laciniis acutis inferiore ultra
medium soluta.--