rds paid the penalty of yet more intolerable thirst,
arising from making too free with a beverage of such quality.

The nature of the country near Hanover Bay, where the party belonging
to Captain Grey was exploring, is most remarkable. The summits of the
ranges of sandstone hills were generally a level sort of table-land, but
this level was frequently broken and sometimes nearly covered with lofty
detached pillars of rock, forming the most curious shapes in their
various grouping. In one place they looked like the aisle of a church
unroofed, in another there stood, upon a huge base, what appeared to be
the legs of an ancient statue, from which the body had been knocked
away; and fancy might make out many more such resemblances. Some of
these time-worn sandy columns were covered with sweet-smelling creepers,
and their bases were hidden by various plants growing thickly around
them. The tops of all were nearly on a level, and the height of those
that were measured was upwards of forty feet. The cause of this singular
appearance of the country was at length discovered by the noise of water
running under the present surface, in the hollows of the sandstone, and
gradually carrying away the soil upon which the top surface rests.
Formerly, no doubt, the level of the whole country was even with the
tops of the broken pillars, and much higher; and hereafter what is now
at the surface will give way beneath the wasting of the streams that
flow below, and no traces of its present height will be left, except in
those places where the power of the water is less felt, which will rear
up their lofty heads, and bear witness by their presence of the ruin
that will have taken place.

In wandering through a country of this description, how natural does the
following little remark of Captain Grey appear! A plant was observed
here, which, in appearance and smell, exactly resembled the jasmine of
England; and it would be difficult to give an idea of the feeling of
pleasure derived from the sight of this simple emblem of home. But,
while the least plant or tree that could remind them of home was gladly
welcomed, there were many new and remarkable objects to engage the
attention of the travellers. Among these the large green ants, and the
gouty stem tree may be particularly noticed. The ants are, it would
seem, confined to the sandstone country, and are very troublesome. The
gouty stem tree is so named from the resemblance borne by its immense