y
accompanying vegetation; indeed, they form so solid a mass that the sun
cannot penetrate to the ground to nourish vegetation. On the other
hand, the valley of the Murray, though covered with reeds in most
places, is not so in all. There is no mark upon the reeds by which to
judge as to the height of inundation, neither are they of the same kind
as those which cover the marshes of the Macquarie. They are the species
of round reed of which the South-sea islanders make their arrows, and
stand sufficiently open, not only to allow of a passage through, but
for the abundant growth of grass among them. Still, I have no doubt
that parts of the valley are subject to flood; but, as I have already
remarked, I do not know whether these parts are either deeply or
frequently covered. Rain must fall simultaneously in the S.E. angle of
the island in the inter-tropical regions, and at the heads of all the
tributaries of the main stream, ere its effects can be felt in the
lower parts of the Murray. If the valley of the Murray is not subject
to flood, it has only recently gained a height above the influence of
the river, and still retains all the character of flooded land. In
either case, however, it contains land that is of the very richest
kind--soil that is the pure accumulation of vegetable matter, and is as
black as ebony. If its hundreds of thousands of acres were practically
available, I should not hesitate to pronounce it one of the richest
spots of equal extent on earth, and highly favoured in other respects.
How far it is available remains to be proved; and an opinion upon
either side would be hazardous, although that of its liability to flood
would, most probably, be nearest to truth. It is, however, certain that
any part of the valley would require much labour before it could be
brought under cultivation, and that even its most available spots would
require almost as much trouble to clear them as the forest tract, for
nothing is more difficult to destroy than reeds. Breaking the sod
would, naturally, raise the level of the ground, and lateral drains
would, most probably, carry off all floods, but then the latter, at
least, is the operation of an advanced stage of husbandry only. I
would, however, observe that there are many parts of the valley
decidedly above the reach of flood. I have, in the above observations,
been particularly alluding to the lowest and broadest portions of it. I
trust I shall be understood as not wishing