n the direction we should
have gone if we had been uninfluenced by this young cub, and at less than
a hundred yards came upon a pretty little clear pool of water, that had
been hid from our view by a turn of the creek. What motive Topar could
have had in thus deceiving us, and punishing himself, is difficult to
say. On our further examination of the creek, however, there was no more
water to be found, and from the gravelly and perfectly even nature of its
bed, I should think it all runs off as fast as the channel filled. Whilst
I was thus employed, Mr. Poole and Mr. Stuart were on the ranges, and
both, as well as the men generally, continued in good health; but I was
exceedingly anxious about Mr. Browne, who had a low fever on him, and was
just then incapable of much fatigue; nevertheless he begged so hard to be
permitted to accompany me on my contemplated journey, that I was obliged
to yield.

I had been satisfied from the appearance of the Williorara, that it was
nothing more than a channel of communication between the lakes Cawndilla
and Minandechi and the Darling, as the Rufus and Hawker respectively
connect Lakes Victoria and Bonney with the Murray, and I felt assured
that as soon as we should leave the former river, our difficulties as
regards the supply of water for our cattle would commence, and that
although we were going amongst hills of 1500 or 2000 feet elevation, we
should still suffer from the want of that indispensable element. Many of
my readers, judging from their knowledge of an English climate, and
living perhaps under hills of less elevation than those I have mentioned,
from which a rippling stream may pass their very door, will hardly
understand this; but the mountains of south-east Australia bear no
resemblance to the moss-covered mountains of Europe. There that spongy
vegetation retains the water to give it out by degrees, but the rain that
falls on the Australian hills runs off at once, and hence the terrific
floods to which their creeks are subject. In the barren and stony ranges
through which I had now to force my way, no spring was to be found.
During heavy rains, indeed, the torrents are fierce, and the waters must
spread over the plains into which they descend for many miles; but such
effects disappear with their cause; a few detached pools only remain,
that are fed for a time by under drainage, which soon failing, the
thirsty sun completes his work, and leaves that proscribed region--a
dese