red, forming ponds amongst brigalow trees. Water was, however,
scarce. We fortunately watered our horses about 3 P.M., at the only hole
we had seen that day, a small muddy puddle. The ACACIA PENDULA formed a
belt outside the brigalow, between the river and the open plains, and
many birds and plants reminded us of the Darling; the rose cockatoo and
crested-pigeon, amongst the former; SALSOLOE and SOLANUM amongst the
latter. At length, we saw before us, to the westward, bold precipitous
hills, extending also to the southward of west. A thunder storm came over
us, and night advancing, we halted without seeing more, for that day, of
the interesting country before us, and having only water enough for our
own use, the product of the shower. No pond was found for the horses,
although we had searched for one, many miles in the bed of the river.
Still, the remains of mussel shells on the banks bore testimony that
water was seldom so scarce in this river, flowing as it did through the
finest and most extensive pastoral region I had ever seen.

17TH SEPTEMBER.--The temperature at seven this morning was 57 deg.; our
height above the sea 1112 feet. "Like the gay birds that" awoke us from
"repose" we were "content," but certainly not "careless of tomorrow's
fare;" for unless we found water to-day, "to-morrow" had found us unable
either to proceed or return! Trusting wholly to Providence, however, we
went forward, and found a pond in the river bed, not distant more than
two miles from where we had slept. In making a cut next through a
brigalow scrub, towards where I hoped to hit the river, in a nearly
westerly direction, I came out upon open downs, and turned again into a
brigalow scrub on my right. After travelling a good many miles, N.W.,
through this scrub, we arrived on the verge of a plain of dead brigalow;
and still pursuing the same course, we came out, at length, upon open
downs extending far to the northward. I continued to ride in that
direction to a clear hill, and from it I obtained a view of a range of
flat-topped hills, that seemed to extend W.N.W.; the most westerly
portion of these being the steep-sided mass seen before us yesterday.
They now lay far to the northward, and the intervening country was partly
low and woody, and partly consisted of the downs we were upon. But where
was the river? Yarra trees and other indications of one appeared nearest
to us in an easterly direction, at the foot of some well-formed hollows