l performance. Such a morning, in such a place, was quite
incompatible with the brow of care. Here was an almost boundless extent
of the richest surface in a latitude corresponding to that of China, yet
still uncultivated and unoccupied by man. A great reserve, provided by
nature for the extension of his race, where economy, art, and industry
might suffice to people it with a peaceful, happy, and contented
population.

These plains are much higher than the sandstone ravines, and the soil
contains not only pebbles, but angular fragments of the knots and fibres
of wood in a silicified state, and much encrusted with chalcedony. The
component parts of the sandstone in the gullies resemble those of a sea
beach. These fragments of fossil wood in rich soils of plains or downs
above formations of sandstone, are found in various parts of Australia,
and I have seen fossil wood from similar plains in Tasmania. The fossil
wood of such plains has no appearance of having been exposed to fire. The
ACACIA PENDULA grows on the skirts of them, and indicates a salsolaceous
soil. These circumstances are obvious to everybody, but no geologist has
yet explained to us the causes of such changes as may have produced that
rich black mould, on which trees, now silicified, formerly grew; or these
wide plains and downs of rich earth, above a red sandstone formation. One
has called the interior of Australia a "dry seabottom;" but this phrase
admits of no easy application to such cases as these. Fragments of a
ferruginous conglomerate of water-worn pebbles, apparently identical with
those in the basin of the Darling, in some places accompany these angular
fragments of fossil wood. We found this day a new ERIOSTEMON allied to E.
BREVIFOLIUM, with small knobby fleshy leaves[*]; also a fine new shrubby
EURYBIA.[**] Scattered plants of BOSSIOEA RHOMBIFOLIA also appeared in
the adjacent gullies; and LORANTHUS SUBFALCATUS (Hook), was parasitical
on trees. We encamped on the margin of the rich plain N. of Camp XLIX,
and about a mile distant from it, our draught oxen being very weak and
leg-weary. Thermometer, at sunrise, 25 deg.; at noon, 67 deg.; at 4 P.M., 73 deg.; at
9, 44 deg.;--with wet bulb, 40 deg..

[* E. RHOMBEUM (Lindl. MS.); ramulis pubescentibus, foliis carnosis
obtuse rhombeis revolutis subtus glabris, pedicellis terminalibus
unifloris tomentosis foliis brevioribus, staminibus pilosis.]

[* E. SUBSPICATA (Hook. MS.); foliis linearibus obtusis