hether we should ever see water again.

FORTUNATE DISCOVERY OF WATER.

When almost in despair I observed a small hollow with an unusually large
gumtree hanging over it; and my delight under such circumstances may be
imagined, when I perceived on going forward, the goodly white trunk of
the tree reflected in a large pond. A grassy flat beside the water proved
quite a home to us, affording food for our cattle, and rest from the
fatigues of that laborious day. We found these ponds in situations which
seemed rather elevated above the adjacent plains, at least their
immediate banks were higher; hence we usually came upon them where we
least expected to see water, before we were acquainted with this
peculiarity of the country. The pond where we now encamped was connected
with several others that were dry, but it was quite impossible at that
time to discover which way the current ran in times of flood. The
latitude was 30 degrees 6 minutes 30 seconds South. In the evening the
sky was illuminated so much by an extensive fire in the woods near us
that the light was clearer in our camp than the brightest moonlight.

DRY VALLEYS.

January 4.

Continuing due north, we just avoided some thick scrubs, which either on
the right or left would have been very difficult to penetrate. The woods
opened gradually however, into a thick copse of Acacia pendula, and at
the end of three miles we reached the eastern skirts of an extensive open
plain, the ground gently undulating. At 4 3/4 miles, on ascending a
slight eminence, we suddenly overlooked a rather deep channel, containing
abundance of water in ponds, the opposite banks being the highest ground
visible. The vast plains thus watered consist chiefly of a rich
dark-coloured earth, to the depth of 30 or 40 feet. Unabraded fragments
of trap are not uncommon in the soil of these plains, and I imagined
there was a want of symmetry in the hollows and slopes as compared with
features more closely connected with hills elsewhere. At 8 1/2 miles,
perceiving boundless plains to the northward, I changed the direction of
our route 24 degrees east of north. The plains extended westward to the
horizon, and opened to our view an extensive prospect towards the
north-east, into the country north of the range of Nundewar, a region
apparently champaign, but including a few isolated and picturesque hills.
Patches of wood were scattered over the level parts, and we hastened
towards a land of such promisin