spots upon the globe,
and moreover possess the great advantage of being situated close to
navigable rivers.

March 26.

This morning we moved down the valley in which we had been encamped
yesterday and, as it was thinly wooded, we experienced no difficulty
whatever until the main stream suddenly turned off from south to due
west; this was a sufficient proof that the gorge of the valley was on its
western side, but I was not anxious to follow the course of the water,
from the apprehension of being led into low and marshy land; I thought
also that a low ridge which I saw to the south could easily be crossed,
and that we should thus gain access to a valley similar to that we were
in. I therefore resolved to cross the stream at the first ford we could
find, and after a little trouble we discovered one suited to our purpose
through which the ponies passed in safety.

IMPASSABLE SANDSTONE RANGE.

We then continued our route in a due southerly direction until we reached
the low range which I had before seen; this range turned out to be
composed of sandstone, and where we made it it was so rocky and
precipitous as to be quite impracticable. We therefore travelled along it
in an easterly direction for about three miles, but throughout this
distance it presented no single pass through which I could hope to
penetrate. The sun having now become very powerful we halted for
breakfast; and whilst this meal was preparing, I sent out a detached
party to search for a road, which soon returned to report that they were
able to find no path by which we could proceed.

I did not however like to retrace our footsteps without having made a
careful search; and although my wound was still open and very painful I
rapidly swallowed a portion of my allowance of damper and started with
another detachment on foot to examine the country. The sandstone range,
which ran nearly east and west, was terminated everywhere throughout its
southern side by perfectly precipitous rocks, at the foot of which lay a
fertile valley, resembling the one in which we had encamped yesterday
except that it was on a much lower level. The position that we were in
appeared to be the pass by which the natives communicated with the
country to the south of us, for marks of them were visible everywhere
about, but they could easily clamber about these precipitous rocks,
though it was quite impossible to get the ponies down, even by forming a
path, as we had often previously