aveller
suddenly emerges into an open plain, sprinkled over with a fine silky
grass, varying from a few acres to many thousands in extent, but
surrounded on all sides by the dreary scrub he has left.

In these plains I have constantly traced the remains of decayed
scrub--generally of a larger growth than that surrounding them--and
occasionally appearing to have grown very densely together. From this it
would appear that the face of the country in those low level regions,
occupied by the Eucalyptus dumosa, is gradually undergoing a process
which is changing it for the better, and in the course of centuries
perhaps those parts of Australia which are now barren and worthless, may
become rich and fertile districts, for as soon as the scrub is removed
grass appears to spring up spontaneously. The plains found interspersed
among the dense scrubs may probably have been occasioned by fires,
purposely or accidentally lighted by the natives in their wanderings, but
I do not think the same explanation would apply to those richer plains
where the timber has been of a large growth and the trees in all
probability at some distance apart--here fires might burn down a few
trees, but would not totally annihilate them over a whole district,
extending for many miles in every direction.

June 26.--This morning brought a very heavy fog, through which we
literally could not see 100 yards, when the party moved on to the "Hutt"
chain of ponds, and then followed that watercourse up to the Broughton
river, which was crossed in Lat. 33 degrees 28 minutes S. At this point
the bed of the Broughton is of considerable width, and its channel is
occupied by long, wide and very deep water holes, connected with one
another by a strongly running stream, which seldom or never fails even in
the driest seasons. The soil upon its banks however is not valuable,
being generally stony and barren, and bearing a sort of prickly grass,
(Spinifex). Wild fowl abound on the pools. On a former occasion, when I
first discovered the Broughton, I obtained both ducks and swans from its
waters, but now I had no time for sporting, being anxious to push on to
the "reedy watercourse," a halting place in my former journey, so as to
get over all the rough and hilly ground before nightfall, that we might
have a fair start in the morning. I generally preferred, if practicable,
to lengthen the stage a little in the vicinity of watercourses or hills,
in order to get the worst of th