aving been the floor
of our first landing place) we found two imperfect skulls of Dasyuri, the
teeth being however very well preserved. This was, doubtless, an
unvisited cave; for the natives have an instinctive or superstitious
dread of all such places, and it is not therefore probable that man had
ever before visited that cavern. With all our ropes it cost some of us
trouble to get out of it, after passing two hours in candle-light. It may
thus be imagined what a vast field for such interesting researches
remains still unexplored in that district where limestone occurs in such
abundance.

The objects of my journey did not admit of further indulgence in the
pursuit at that time; and I was content with drawing the attention of one
of the party, a young gentleman residing in the neighbourhood, to it, in
hopes he might discover some bones of importance.*

(*Footnote. See a further account of these caves and some others in
Chapter 3.15 below.)

MOUNT GRANARD, FIRST POINT TO BE ATTAINED.

March 19.

Our stores being completed we proceeded along the course of the little
rivulet of Buree, towards the Lachlan. My first object was to gain Mount
Granard, described by Mr. Oxley as the most elevated pic of a very high
range, and laid down on his map to the westward of where the Lachlan
takes a remarkable turn from its general direction towards the low
country more to the southward. I had long thought that it might be
possible to ascertain from this hill whether any range extended westward
of sufficient magnitude to separate the basins of the Murray and the
Darling. I wished to visit it last year, but the loss of Mr. Cunningham,
the consequent delay of the party, and the adverse nature of my
instructions in regard to my own views, together prevented me. I then saw
that the hills along the line I was now about to follow were favourable
for triangulation; but the greater certainty of finding water in a large
river like the Lachlan was my chief inducement for now moving towards its
banks, as the season was of such unusual drought. On this day's journey I
took for my guidance the bearing of a line drawn on the map from Buree,
as fixed by my former survey, to the mouth of Byrne's creek, as laid down
by Mr. Oxley; and which I supposed to be the same as that which descends
from Buree.

HALT ON A DRY CREEK.

The line guided me tolerably well to where I encamped that night. This
was on a fine-looking plain, within sight of the wood