emarkable fact, that not a pebble or a stone was picked up during
the progress of the expedition, on any one of the plains; and that after
it again left Mount Harris for the Castlereagh, the only rock-formation
discovered was a small Freestone tract near the Darling river. There was
not a pebble of any kind either in the bed of the Castlereagh, or in the
creeks falling into it.

APPENDIX No. V.

OFFICIAL REPORTS TO THE COLONIAL GOVERNMENT.

* * * * *

GOVERNMENT ORDER

COLONIAL SECRETARY'S OFFICE, 23RD JANUARY, 1829.

His Excellency the Governor has been pleased to order, that the following
communication, dated the 25th of December last, from Captain Sturt, of the
39th Regiment, who is employed in an exploring expedition into the
interior of the country, be published for general information.

By his Excellency's Command,
ALEXANDER M'LEAY.

* * * * *

WESTERN MARSHES, 25TH DECEMBER, 1828.

SIR,--I do myself the honor to forward, for the Governor's perusal, a
copy of my journal up to the date of my arrival at Mount Harris. I should
not have directed the messenger to return so soon, had I not subsequently
advanced to Mount Foster, and surveyed the country from that eminence. I
could distinctly see Arbuthnot's Range to the eastward. From that point
the horizon appeared to me unbroken, but the country to the northward and
westward seemed to favour an attempt to penetrate into it. I did not
observe any sheet of water, and the course of the Macquarie was lost in
the woodlands below.

Mr. Hume ascended the hill at sun-rise, and thought he could see mountains
to the north east, but at such a distance as to make it quite a matter of
uncertainty. Agreeing, however, in the prudence of an immediate descent,
we left our encampment on the morning of the 23rd, under Mount Foster, to
which we had removed from Mount Harris, and pursued a north-north-west
course to the spot on which we rest at present. We passed some fine meadow
land near the river, and were obliged to keep wide of it in consequence of
fissures in the ground. Traversing a large and blasted plain, on which the
sun's rays fell with intense heat, and on which there was but little
vegetation, we skirted the first great morass, and made the river
immediately beyond it. It is of very considerable extent, the channel of
the river passing through it. We are encompassed on every side by high
reeds, which exist in the woods as well as in the plains.