of the large tributary crossed
on our eastward track on the afternoon of the 29th August. Camp 81.

15th September (Sunday).

Remained in camp to rest the horses. A few natives were seen near the
camp during the day.

16th September.

After running four or five miles further north, the Oakover turned to the
north-west for fourteen miles, having a clear sandy or stony bed from 150
to 200 yards wide, water and grass being plentiful, and the country
generally being open forest, with a pleasing appearance. Camp 82.

Latitude 20 degrees 46 minutes.

17th September.

The course of the river was followed for about seventeen miles in a
westerly direction, the bed widening out to 300 or 400 yards, the water
being now confined to a sandy channel not above 150 yards in width, the
depth of the valley through which it runs being about forty feet; timber
of white-gum and cajeput is tolerably plentiful on the banks, the soil of
which is a red loam of considerable depth. Many of the pools are lined
with tall reeds. Camp 83.

Latitude 20 degrees 41 minutes 32 seconds.

REACH THE DEGREY RIVER. ABUNDANCE OF FISH.

18th September.

Started at 6.40 a.m. and in two and a half hours entered a deep and
wild-looking gorge, at which point it formed a junction with the DeGrey,
coming from the south-south-east, through a beautiful level tract of open
grassy country, a broad belt of flooded-gum trees growing for some
distance back on either side. Passing through the gorge, which was a
quarter of a mile wide and about a mile long, we came upon a camp of
natives, who, as usual, quickly dispersed without giving us an
opportunity of showing them that we intended them no harm. The river here
contains a fine reach of deep water, upon which was a large quantity of
whistling ducks and other water-fowl. Two miles lower down we halted on
the banks of a deep creek coming in from the northward; the rest of the
day being employed re-stuffing pack-saddles, etc., while some of the
party caught a quantity of fine fish--amongst them an eel, which,
however, was allowed to escape, being taken for a water-snake by one of
the party who had never seen one before. A large kind of bat, or vampire,
was first observed here, measuring about two feet across the wings. Camp
84.

19th September.

We continued to follow down the DeGrey for about eighteen miles in a
west-north-west direction, through open grassy plains extending for many
miles on either bank, t