the woods to
some distance beyond it, I perceived that the river was joined by another
coming from the south-east through an open country of the finest
character. Below their junction the principal river disappeared on
passing through a woody range, and turned towards the south-west.

JUNCTION OF THE WANNON.

Nothing could be seen beyond the crest which seemed a very predominant
feature bounding the fine valley of the Wannon on the south. By turning
round the eastern brow of the high ground on which we then were we gained
a long ridge of smooth grassy land, leading by an easy descent from this
height to the junction of the rivers. This high ground was thickly wooded
with stringybark trees of large dimensions, and a few other eucalypti,
together with banksia and casuarinae. The soil there was soft and sandy
and the substratum contained masses of ironstone. The shrubs upon the
whole reminded me of those in the wooded parts of the sandhills on the
shores of Port Jackson. Smoke arose from various parts of the distant
country before us; and we perceived one native running at prodigious
speed across the plain below.

CROSS THE WANNON.

On reaching the banks of the Wannon we found it a deep flowing stream,
about half as large as the river itself. We succeeded in finding a ford
and crossed after cutting away some bushes and levelling the banks.
Beyond the Wannon we travelled 2 3/4 miles over a portion of very fine
country and encamped in a little vale in the bosom of a woody range, the
western side of which overhung the river at the distance of two miles.

August 12.

A fine clear morning gave full effect to the beauty of the country which
I now saw to the eastward from a hill near our camp. The summit of the
Victoria range crowned the distant landscape; and the whole of the
intervening territory appeared to consist of green hills, partially
wooded. We crossed a mountain-stream by filling up its bed with logs and,
as we ascended the slopes beyond, we found the country grassy until we
reached the high and wooded crest. Lofty stringybark trees and other
timber grew there on a white sandy soil; but we found among the bushes
abundance of the anthisteria or kangaroo grass.

After travelling some miles beyond this crest we at length found the
ground sloping to the southward; and some swampy hollows with reeds in
them obliged us to turn to the right or south-west, as the water in these
depressed parts falling eastward, or to t