ascended in various directions before us,
and two natives beyond the river, were seen to set up a great blaze
there. To the westward of the beautifully broken rocky woody range beyond
Lake Salvator, a dense smoke also arose, and continued until evening;
thus adding much sublimity to the effect of a gorgeous sunset, which
poured its beams through the smoke between the rocky pinnacles, as I sat
drawing the scene at my camp by the lake, two miles northward of XLV.
Thermometer, at sunrise, 26 deg.; at noon, 67 deg.; at 4 P.M., 65 deg.; at 9, 39 deg.;--
with wet bulb, 32 deg..

5TH SEPTEMBER.--The cooler air reminded us that we had returned to a more
elevated region than that on the Belyando. This morning heavy clouds of
cumulostratus promised more rain, and gave a cool day for the last effort
of the jaded animals, which the driver doubted could not be driven much
farther. I cut off all the roundabouts and steep pulls, where this could
be done, by laying logs across such gullies as we were obliged to cross.
We thus saw more of the river and its romantic scenery, which well
deserved the name of a painter. No natives, nor columns of smoke, were
seen this day; and I concluded that they concentrated the tribe
yesterday, and had departed this morning. We finally took up a very snug
position near the pyramids, in the very gorge of the mountain valley by
which we had approached this country; camp XLVI. being within sight, and
the swamp with the spring, at the foot of this hill on which we now
encamped, as a camp of occupation during my intended absence, on an
excursion with horses only, to the north-west. The genial influence of
spring had already induced many plants to show their colours, which had
formerly been passed by us unnoticed. In the sandy soil, grew the purple-
flowered CHLOANTHES STOECHADIS; THE ACACIA CUNNINGHAMII; the pink-
flowered CRYPTANDRA PROPINQUA; and a species of CALYTRIX; these two
forming small shrubs, the latter from four to six feet high. A very
handsome new BORONIA, with large white and red downy flowers, here first
appeared in the open forest.[*] The rocks were partly covered with a
small white-flowered shrub, which proved to be a new species of
LEPTOSPERMUM allied to L. PUBESCENS, but perfectly distinct.[**] At the
foot of them, was found the AOTUS MOLLIS, a little hoary bush, with
yellow black flowers; a santalaceous plant like CHORETRUM, forming a tree
fifteen or twenty feet high: the CALLITRIS GLAUCA