roup of
hills to the westward. I stood upon the best height however for carrying
on my angles in that direction. To the eastward I saw Hurd's Peak and
Bolloon, also Goulburn's and Macquarie's ranges, Mount Torrens, and Mount
Aiton of Oxley. The last hill appeared alone on the horizon, in a
south-south-east direction as shown in his map. But the most commanding
point was Yerrarar, the highest apex of Goulburn range, forming with
Bolloon and this station an almost equilateral triangle of about 30 miles
a side.

The features before us terminated rather abruptly towards the south like
cliffs of tableland, and seemed to mark out the basin of the Lachlan; but
beyond those parts overlooking Mr. Oxley's route I could obtain no view,
although I perceived that I might from Yerrarar.

ENCAMP THERE.

Having completed my work as the sun was setting I hastened to the valley,
and learnt that the party had discovered neither water nor grass. Barney
the native had nevertheless obtained both when with me at the top of the
mountain; and therefore, although it was dark and we were all fatigued,
yet up that rocky mountain we were compelled to go with the horses, and
encamp near the summit beside a little pool of water which had been
well-known to Barney at other times. On this elevated crest the air was
surprisingly mild during the night for, although I slept in my clothes
and on the ground, I enjoyed its freshness as a great relief from the
oppressive heat of the day. Our singular bivouac on the summit, which I
had so long wished to visit, was adorned with a strange-looking tree,
probably Casuarina glauca.

April 8.

Next morning I had an opportunity of surveying the hills around me more
at leisure, and I noted down their various names from the lips of Barney
for that desolate region, where neither a kangaroo nor a bird was to be
seen or heard, was poor Barney's country, that lonely mountain his home!

I learned that the only water in these deserts was to be found in the
crevices of rocks on such hills as this; and I thus understood the cause
of the smoke I observed last year arising from so many summits when I
looked over the same region from a hill on its northern limits. Perhaps
within thirty miles around there was no other water, and the bare top of
a mountain was certainly one of the last situations where I should have
thought of seeking for it.

We descended after I had completed my survey from a hill which perhaps no
white