oked with the deposit filling up these marshes, it
should work out for itself a channel less opposed to the course of the
main stream. Duck creek appears to be now the channel by which the floods
of the Macquarie join the Darling, and in a course much more direct than
that through the marshes. Hence the Bogan also, being still less opposed
to that of the Darling, finally enters that river without presenting the
anomaly of an invisible channel. In like manner, at a much lower point on
the Darling, the course of the little stream named Shamrock ponds, so
remarkable in this respect, may be understood. This forms a chain of
ponds, or a flowing stream, according to the seasons, between the plains
on the left bank of the Darling, and the rising grounds further to the
eastward: but instead of crossing the plains to join the main channel
this supposed tributary, after approaching within one or two miles of the
Darling where its plains were narrow, again receded from it as they
widened, and finally disappeared to the left where the plains were broad,
so that its junction with the Darling has not even yet been discovered.
On this principle the channel of the Lachlan, as soon as it enters the
plains belonging to the basin of the Murrumbidgee, may be sought for on
the northern skirts of these plains, although its floods may have been
found to spread in different channels more directly towards the main
stream.

At 12 1/4 miles we crossed a dry and shallow branch of the river, and at
14 1/2 miles we at length reached the main channel, and encamped where a
considerable pond of water remained in it, surrounded by abundance of
good grass. In this hole we caught some cod-perch (Gristes peelii).

April 12.

I sent back three men with two horses to bring on the light cart of Mr.
Stapylton, intending to await its arrival (which I expected would be in
five days) at the end of this day's journey. It was my object to encamp
as near as possible to Regent's Lake without diverging from the route
which I wished to follow with the carts, along the bank of the Lachlan.

WANT OF WATER IN THE RIVER.

For this purpose it was desirable to gain a bend of that river at least
as far west as the most western portion of the lake, according to Mr.
Oxley's survey. This distance we accomplished and more; for we were
obliged to proceed several miles further than I intended, and along the
bank of the river, because no water remained in its bed, until Mr.
Sta