of the newly-discovered river.

ITS UNEXPECTED COURSE.

I found the course much more to the southward than I had expected or
wished. The stream separated into branches which re-united, and the
channel was besides crossed in many places by large trees reaching from
bank to bank. After passing close by several southerly bends in following
a bearing of 20 degrees south of west, I met the river crossing that line
at rightangles. This was at a distance of 7 1/2 miles from the camp, and
near the point where the water broke over a rock of ferruginous
sandstone, interspersed with veins of soft white clay. The rock appeared
to be stratified, and inclined to the north-east. At 4 1/2 miles further
we again made the river on a bearing of south 10 degrees west after
crossing a small plain and passing through a scrub of tea-tree (or
mimosa). Two miles beyond that part of the river we crossed the junction
of a chain of ponds with it; and in proceeding on a bearing of 30 degrees
east of south we crossed, when about two miles from that junction,
another chain of ponds, apparently that on which we had encamped on the
22nd of January.

After riding about four miles beyond these ponds, according to the
windings of the river, but chiefly towards the south, we encamped on a
high point overlooking the stream, and where the grass was good. We here
caught a large cod-perch, this being by far the best of the three kinds
hitherto found by us. Latitude observed 29 degrees 12 minutes 3 seconds
South.

February 3.

The course of the river compelled me to travel still further southward,
which direction I accordingly pursued for seventeen miles, occasionally
taking slight turns south-eastward, in order to avoid either the bends of
the river, or hollows containing lagoons. One of these, which we arrived
at after travelling about thirteen miles, was a very extensive sheet of
water, a pleasing sight to us, still remembering how recently and
frequently we had sought that life-sustaining element in vain. This
latter had firm banks resembling the ancient channel of a river, although
the bed was evidently much higher than the water flowing in the channel
we were then exploring; and it was further remarkable in being contracted
at one part by masses of a very hard rock consisting of grains and small
pebbles of quartz cemented in a hard ferruginous matrix, probably
felspar.

FORMIDABLE INSECTS.

At seventeen miles we entered a plain where grew trees o