atch the
bullocks and would never return.

April 4.

The surface being sufficiently dry to enable us to travel we accordingly
continued our journey and, crossing the Goobang at 5 1/4 miles, we kept
the right bank of it during the day. The surface on that side was dry and
firm; and it may be remarked that if ever it becomes desirable to open a
line of communication from Sydney towards the country on the lower part
of the Murray, the right bank of the Goobang will probably be found the
best direction as the adjacent valley affords both grass and water for
the passage of cattle, and the doubtful plains of the Lachlan may be thus
avoided.

POISONED WATERHOLE.

We finally encamped on the Lachlan at the junction of the Goobang, in
latitude 33 degrees 5 minutes 20 seconds; longitude East 147 degrees 13
minutes 10 seconds. There the river contained some deep pools and we
expected to catch fish; but Piper told us that the holes had been
recently poisoned, a process adopted by the natives in dry seasons, when
the river no longer flows, for bringing the fish to the surface of deep
ponds and thus killing the whole; I need not add that none of us got a
bite. All these holes were full of recently cut boughs of the eucalyptus,
so that the water was tinged black.

ASCEND HURD'S PEAK.

April 5.

As soon as the party had started I gave the overseer the bearings and
distances to be pursued; while I proceeded to the cone named Hurd's peak
by Oxley, but by the natives Tolga. It was distant about four miles from
our line of route. A low ridge of quartz rock extends from the Goobang to
this peak the base of which consists of chlorite slate, and its summit of
squarish pebbles of quartz, with the angles rounded, associated with
fragments of chlorite slate. There was just convenient room on it for the
theodolite and, as it afforded a most satisfactory and commanding view,
well suited for the purpose of surveying, it seemed to have been aptly
named after a distinguished geographer. Many points of a distant range
now appeared on the north-western horizon in the direction of Oxley's
Mount Granard, and the ridge of Bolloon (towards the great lake
Cudjallagong) seemed not very distant. I took angles on all the points
and then hastened to overtake the party, which I did after they had
travelled about nine miles. At fourteen miles we made the banks of the
Lachlan, and encamped by the side of it on the edge of a plain in
latitude 33 degrees 4