and the
horses taken across, as before. The camp was established at an early hour
on the left bank of the "Maal," which camp I caused to be marked 88, in
figures cut on an iron bark tree. Latitude, 29 deg. 1' 20" S. This seemed to
be the same channel crossed by me on 5th February, 1832, at a similar
distance from the main river.

11TH DECEMBER.--Thermometer, at 7 A.M., 70 deg.. We continued to travel
homewards on the same bearing; thus tracing with our wheels, a direct
line of road from Sydney to the northern interior and coast. The plains
were gay with the blue flowers of a new CYCLOGYNE[*]; a new CANTHIUM, was
in fruit[**]; and we found also a species of Malva, which Sir William
Hooker has determined to be MALVA OVATA (Cav.), or scarcely differing
from that species, except in the rather soft and short hairs to the calyx
(not long and rigid): the two ends of the curved carpels are equal or
blunt; but in M. OVATA the upper one is longer and attenuated into a
short beak. The same plant was found by Frazer along the Brisbane. The
THYSANOTUS ELATIOR was again found here; and a shrubby CRUCIFEROUS plant,
quite woody at the base, with very narrow linear setaceous pinnatifid
leaves,[***] and linear curved torulose silicules. A new HAKEA with stout
needle like leaves, was also found this day in the scrub. We met with no
impediment for eighteen miles, when I encamped, although without reaching
water enough for our cattle. I knew we could not expect to meet with any
watercourse between the Barwan and the Gwydir; which latter river I
wished to cross as soon as possible, in hopes then to meet with roads and
inhabitants. Even cattle-tracks had again become rare in this
intermediate ground, although the grass was in its best state, and most
exuberant abundance. We crossed much open plain, and passed through
several shady forests of casuarina. A curious provision of nature for the
distribution of the seeds of a parasitical plant was observed here, each
seed being enclosed within a sort of pulp, like bird-lime, insoluble in
water; the whole resembling a very thin-skinned berry. On this being
broken, probably by birds, the bird-lime is apt to attach the seed to
trees or branches, and so the parasitical growth commences. On the
plains, the blue flowers of a large variety of MORGANIA GLABRA caught the
eye: the rare and little known HETERODENDRON OLOEFOLIUM of Desfontaines,
a genus referred to Soapworts by Mr. Planchon. We found also this