milton Plains--Intercourse
with the natives--Their appearance, customs, &c.--Change in the
character of the river--Mirage--Dreariness of the country--Ride towards
the Lachlan river--Two boats built and launched on the Morumbidgee; and
the drays, with part of the men sent back to Goulburn Plains.

NATIVES--WILD GAME,&c.; CHARACTER OF THE RIVER AND THE ADJOINING
COUNTRY.

From our camp, the Morumbidgee held a direct westerly course for about
three miles. The hills under which we had encamped, rose so close upon
our right as to leave little space between them and the river. At the
distance of three miles, however, they suddenly terminated, and the
river changed its direction to the S.W., while a chain of ponds
extended to the westward, and separated the alluvial flats from a
somewhat more elevated plain before us. We kept these ponds upon our
left for some time, but, as they ultimately followed the bend of the
river, we left them. The blacks led us on a W. by S. course to the base
of a small range two or three miles distant, near which there was a
deep lagoon. It was evident they here expected to have found some other
natives. Being disappointed, however, they turned in towards the river
again, but we stopped short of it on the side of a serpentine sheet of
water, an apparent continuation of the chain of ponds we had left
behind us, forming a kind of ditch round the S.W. extremity of the
range, parallel to which we had continued to travel. This range, which
had been gradually decreasing in height from the lagoon, above which it
rose perpendicularly, might almost be said to terminate here. We fell
in with two or three natives before we halted, but the evident want of
population in so fine a country, and on so noble a river, surprised me
extremely. We saw several red kangaroos in the course of the day, and
succeeded in killing one. It certainly is a beautiful animal, ranging
the wilds in native freedom. The female and the kid are of a light
mouse-colour. Wild turkeys abound on this part of the Morumbidgee, but
with the exception of a few terns, which are found hovering over the
lagoons, no new birds had as yet been procured; and the only plant that
enriched our collection, was an unknown metrosideros. In crossing the
extremity of the range, the wheels of the dray sunk deep into a
yielding and coarse sandy soil, of decomposed granite, on which
forest-grass prevailed in tufts, which, being far apart, made the
ground uneven