he 21st:--

"The farther we proceed westerly, the more convinced I am that for all
the practical purposes of civilised man the interior of this country
westward of a certain meridian is uninhabitable, deprived as it is of
wood, water and grass."

Unfortunately for his fame, he then relinquished all thoughts and hopes
of a southward course; for had he pushed on, posterity would have hailed
his memory as the discoverer of the Murrumbidgee. But Fate decided
otherwise, and dejected and baffled, he turned to follow the Peel Range
north, making for the part he had left, where at least he was sure of a
supply of water. The expedition suddenly came upon the river again on the
23rd of June, and hoping to find that it had modified its nature, they
commenced to run it down again. The 7th of July they were forced to halt
once more, when Oxley gave up all idea of tracing the Lachlan. He began
his return journey, making this last desponding entry:--

"It is with infinite regret and pain that I was forced to come to the
conclusion that the interior of this vast country is a marsh and
uninhabitable...There is a dreary uniformity in the barren desolateness
of this country which wearies one more than I am able to express. One
tree, one soil, one water, and one description of bird, fish, or animal
prevails alike for ten miles and for one hundred. A variety of
wretchedness is at all times preferable to one unvarying cause of pain or
distress."

[Illustration. The Lachlan River at the point where Oxley left it on the
4th August, 1818, and struck North-East to gain the Macquarie River and
follow that river up to Bathurst. Photo by the Reverend J.M. Curran.]

On the 4th of August, the leader, knowing the repellant nature of the
river and its swamps and morasses that lay ahead of their returning
footsteps, determined to quit the Lachlan altogether, and steering a
northern course, to abandon the low country, reach the Macquarie River
and follow it up to the settlement at Bathurst.

The boats having been long since abandoned, it was necessary to build a
raft of pine-logs wherewith to transport the baggage over the stream.
They crossed in safety, and we can imagine that it was with no feelings
of regret that they finally lost sight of the stream that had so
persistently baffled them in all their attempts to traverse its banks.

For some days they had to struggle against the many obstacles of a new
and untrodden land, but they at last emerg