ty yards,
presents a still, deep sheet of water to the view, over which the
casuarina bends with all the grace of the willow, or the birch, but
with more sombre foliage. To the west, a high line of flooded-gum trees
extending from the river to the base of the hills which form the west
side of the valley before noticed, hides the near elevations, and thus
shuts in the whole space. The soil of the plain is of the richest
description, and the hills backing it, together with the valley, are
capable of depasturing the most extensive flocks.

Such is the general landscape from the centre of Pondebadgery Plain.
Behind the line of gum-trees, the river suddenly sweeps away to the
south, and forms a deep bight of seven miles, when, bearing up again to
the N.W. it meets some hills about 10 miles to the W.N.W. of the plain,
thus encircling a still more extensive space, that for richness of
soil, and for abundance of pasture, can nowhere be excelled; such,
though on a smaller scale, are all the flats that adorn the banks of
the Morumbidgee, first on one side and then on the other, as the hills
close in upon them, from Juggiong to Pondebadgery.

TRAVELLING DOWN THE RIVER.

It is deeply to be regretted that this noble river should exist at such
a distance from the capital as to be unavailable. During our stay on
the Pondebadgery Plain, the men caught a number of codfish, as they are
generally termed, but which are, in reality, a species of perch. The
largest weighed 40lb. but the majority of the others were small, not
exceeding from six to eight. M'Leay and I walked to the N.W. extremity
of the plain, in order to ascertain how we should debouche from it, and
to get, if possible, a view of the western interior. We took with us
two blacks who had attached themselves to the party, and had made
themselves generally useful. On ascending the most westerly of the
hills, we found it composed of micaceous schist, the upper coat of
which was extremely soft, and broke with a slaty fracture, or crumbled
into a sparkling dust beneath our feet. The summit of the hill was
barren, and beef-wood alone grew on it. The valley, of which it was the
western boundary, ran up northerly for two or three miles, with all the
appearance of richness and verdure. To the south extended the flat I
have noticed, more heavily timbered than we had usually found them,
bounded, or backed rather, by a hilly country, although one fast losing
in its general height. To th