n a tongue of land formed by the two streams. I therefore
landed among them to satisfy their curiosity and to distribute a few
presents before I proceeded up it. We were obliged to use the four oars to
stem the current against us; but, as soon as we had passed the mouth,
got into deeper water, and found easier pulling, The parallel in which we
struck it, and the direction from which it came, combined to assure me
that this could be no other than the "Darling." To the distance of two
miles it retained a breadth of one hundred yards and a depth of twelve
feet. Its banks were covered with verdure, and the trees overhanging them
were of finer and larger growth than those on the new river by which we
had approached it. Its waters had a shade of green, and were more turbid
than those of its neighbours, but they were perfectly sweet to the taste.

Having satisfied myself on those points on which I was most anxious,
we returned to the junction to examine it more closely.

The angle formed by the Darling with the new river is so acute, that
neither can be said to be tributary to the other; but more important
circumstances, upon which it is impossible for me to dwell at the present
moment, mark them as distinct rivers, which have been formed by Nature
for the same purposes, in remote and opposite parts of the island. Not
having as yet given a name to the latter, I now availed myself of the
opportunity of complying with the known wishes of His Excellency the
Governor, and, at the same time, in accordance with my own feelings as a
soldier I distinguished it by that of the "Murray."

It had been my object to ascertain the decline of the vast plain through
which the Murray flows, that I might judge of the probable fall of the
waters of the interior; but by the most attentive observation I could not
satisfy myself upon the point. The course of the Darling now confirmed
my previous impression that it was to the south, which direction it was
evident the Murray also, in the subsequent stages of our journey down it,
struggled to preserve; from which it was thrown by a range of minor
elevations into a more westerly one. We were carried as far as 139 degrees
40 minutes of longitude, without descending below 34 degrees in point of
latitude; in consequence of which I expected that the river would
ultimately discharge itself, either into St. Vincent's Gulf or that of
Spencer, more especially as lofty ranges were visible in the direction of
th