and
of the unusual expedients to which I was obliged to resort, in order to
save myself and my companions from perishing, may benefit those who shall
hereafter follow my example; secondly, that as I published an account of
my former services, my failing to do so in the present instance might be
taken as evidence that I lacked the moral firmness which enables men to
meet both success and defeat with equal self-possession; and thirdly,
because, I think the public has a right to demand information from those,
who, like myself, have been employed in the advancement of geographical
knowledge. I propose, therefore, to devote my preliminary chapter to a
short review of previous Expeditions of Discovery on the Australian
continent, and so to lay down its internal features, that my friends
shall not lose their way.

I propose, also, to give an account of the state of South Australia when
I left it in May last, for, as the expedition whose proceedings form the
subject matter of these volumes, departed from and returned to that
Province, such an account appears to me a fitting sequel to my narrative.

TRAVELS IN AUSTRALIA

CHAPTER I.

CHARACTER OF THE AUSTRALIAN CONTINENT--OF ITS RIVERS--PECULIARITY OF THE
DARLING--SUDDEN FLOODS TO WHICH IT IS SUBJECT--CHARACTER OF THE MURRAY
--ITS PERIODICAL RISE--BOUNTY OF PROVIDENCE--GEOLOGICAL POSITION OF THE
TWO RIVERS--OBSERVATIONS--RESULTS--SIR THOMAS MITCHELL'S JOURNEY TO THE
DARLING--ITS JUNCTION WITH THE MURRAY--ANECDOTE OF MR. SHANNON--CAPTAIN
GREY'S EXPEDITION--CAPTAIN STURT'S JOURNEY--MR. EYRE'S SECOND
EXPEDITION--VOYAGE OF THE BEAGLE--MR. OXLEY'S OPINIONS--STATE OF THE
INTERIOR IN 1828--CHARACTER OF ITS PLAINS AND RIVERS--JUNCTION OF THE
DARLING--FOSSIL BED OF THE MURRAY--FORMER STATE OF THE CONTINENT--THEORY
OF THE INTERIOR.

The Australian continent is not distinguished, as are many other
continents of equal and even of less extent, by any prominent
geographical feature. Its mountains seldom exceed four thousand feet in
elevation, nor do any of its rivers, whether falling internally or
externally, not even the Murray, bear any proportion to the size of the
continent itself. There is no reason, however, why rivers of greater
magnitude, than any which have hitherto been discovered in it, should not
emanate from mountains of such limited altitude, as the known mountains
of that immense and sea-girt territory. But, it appears to me, it is not
in the height and char