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cliffs rise abruptly from the water to the height of 250 and occasionally
300 feet. They occur first on one side of the river, and then on the
other, there being an open or a lightly-timbered flat on the opposite
side, with a line of trees almost invariably round it, especially along
the river. These flats are backed, at uncertain distances, by the fossil
formation, as by a natural inclosure--sometimes it rises perpendicularly
from the flats, but more generally assumes the character of sloping
hills. The cliffs occasionally extend, like a wall, along the river for
two or three miles, and look exceedingly well; but their constant
recurrence, at length fatigues the eye. At the point at which we had now
arrived this remarkable formation ceases, or, as we are going up the
river, I should perhaps be more correct if I said, begins. Above it a
long line of hills, broken by deep and rugged stony gullies, and with
steep sides, extends to the eastward (that also being the upward course
of the river). On gaining the crest of these hills we found ourselves, as
usual, on a flat table land, notwithstanding the broken faces of the
hills themselves. There was only a narrow space between them, and a low
thick brush of eucalyptus to the north. The soil was, as usual, a mixture
of clay and sand, with small rounded nodules of limestone. From this
ground, the view to the south as a medium point, was over as dark and
monotonous a country as could well be described. There was not a single
break in its sombre hue, nor was there the slightest rise on the visible
horizon; both to the eastward and westward we caught glimpses of the
Murray glittering amidst the dark foliage beneath us, but it made no
change in the character of the landscape.

We kept on the open ground, just cutting the heads of the gullies, and
advanced eight miles before we found a convenient spot at which to drive
the cattle down to water, and feed in the flats below, and into which it
appeared impracticable to get our drays. I halted, therefore, on the
crest of the hills, and sent Flood and three other men to watch the
animals, and to head them back if they attempted to wander. In the
afternoon we went down to the river, and on crossing the flat came upon
the dray tracks of some overland party, the leader of which had taken his
drays down the hills, notwithstanding the apparent difficulty of the
attempt. But what is there of daring or enterprise that these bold and
high-spi