of this
current had taken the line of the Darling, the other having passed to the
westward. Now, it would appear, that the sources of the Victoria are in
long. 146 degrees 46 minutes, and we are aware, that the course of that
river is to the W.S.W. as far as the 139th meridian; unless, therefore,
there is a low and depressed country between the sources of the Victoria,
and the coast ranges traversed by Dr. Leichhardt, through which the
southerly current could have passed, my hypothesis, as regards it, is
evidently wrong; and such, on an inspection of Sir Thomas Mitchell's map,
appears to be the case, as he has marked a line of hills, connecting the
basins of the Victoria with the higher ranges traversed by Doctor
Leichhardt, nearer the coast. My object being to elicit truth, I have
deemed it necessary to call the attention of the reader to this point,
because it would appear to argue against the general conclusions I have
drawn, since, if there is no apparent outlet, there could not have been
any southerly current as I have supposed; whereas, if the features of the
country could have justified such a conclusion, the general ones I have
formed would have been very considerably strengthened.

Mr. Kennedy's survey of the Victoria establishes the fact, that there is
not a single stream or water-course falling into the main drainage of the
continent, from the northward or westward, between the 24th and 34th
parallels of latitude, a distance of more than 700 geographical miles--a
fact which strongly proves the depressed nature of the north-west
interior, and would appear to confirm the opinion already expressed, that
the Stony Desert is the great channel into which such rivers as have a
sufficiently prolonged course, are ultimately led, and towards which the
northerly, and a great portion of the easterly drainage tends. How that
singular feature may terminate, whether in an in land sea, or as an arid
wilderness, stretching to the Great Australian Bight, it is impossible to
say. From the general tendency of the rivers to fall to the south, it may
be that the Stony Desert, as Mr. Arrowsmith supposes, has some connexion
with Lake Torrens, but I think, for reasons already stated, that it
passes far to the westward.

It may not be generally known, that Dr. Leichhardt is at this moment
endeavouring to accomplish an undertaking, in which, if he should prove
successful, he will stand the first of Australian explorers. It is to
trav