Alice joins the Victoria, the
latter river had already commenced its south-west course, and that the
last thirty miles down which the Surveyor-General traced this river was a
part of the general south-west course, which it afterwards maintained to
the termination of Mr. Kennedy's route, and consequently the latter
traveller never had an opportunity of approaching so near the Gulf of
Carpentaria as the Surveyor-General had done. Here its channel separates
into three principal branches, at half-a-mile apart, and, notwithstanding
the promise it had given down to the point, at which he had now arrived,
(latitude 24 degrees 52 minutes, and longitude 144 degrees 11 minutes,)
having then travelled nearly 100 miles along its banks, Mr. Kennedy had
great difficulty in finding water. In consequence indeed, of the
unfavourable changes that had taken place in the river, he determined on
leaving the party stationary, and proceeding down it with two men to the
26th parallel, whence, if he found that it still held to the south, he
proposed returning with the intention of trying to find a practicable
route to the Gulf of Carpentaria, in compliance with his instructions,
and under an impression, I presume, that the fate of the Victoria would
then have been fully determined.

In latitude 25 degrees 3 minutes, the river having changed its course to
the W. S. W. was joined by a large creek from the "EASTWARD." In latitude
25 degrees 7 minutes it was turned by some low sandstone ranges on its
left, and trended for thirty miles to the west, and even to the northward
of that point, having almost connected ponds of water for that distance,
varying in breadth, from 80 to 120 yards, and being bounded on either
side by firm plains of white soil. About 25 degrees 9 minutes and 143
degrees 16 minutes the river was joined by a large tributary stream from
the NORTH-EAST, to which Mr. Kennedy gave the name of the "Thomson," and
encouraged by the favourable changes which had now taken place, he
returned for his party with the determination of following so fine a
river to the last.

We shall now see how far his anticipations were confirmed, and how far
his further investigation of the Victoria river, and his account of the
country through which it flows, accords with the description I have given
of the dreary region into which I penetrated.

On the 26th of September, Mr. Kennedy having brought down his party,
resumed his journey, and crossing the Vict