ed from the state in which he found the country--The marsh of the
Macquarie merely a marsh of the ordinary character--Captain King's
observations--Course of the Darling--Character of the low interior
plain--The convict Barber's report of rivers traversing the
interior--Surveyor-General Mitchell's Report of his recent expedition.

RESULT OF THE EXPEDITION.

Whether the discoveries that have been made during this expedition,
will ultimately prove of advantage to the colony of New South Wales, is
a question that time alone can answer. We have in the meanwhile to
regret that no beneficial consequences will immediately follow them.
The further knowledge that has been gained of the interior is but as a
gleam of sunshine over an extensive landscape. A stronger light has
fallen upon the nearer ground, but the distant horizon is still
enveloped in clouds. The veil has only as it were been withdrawn from
the marshes of the Macquarie to be spread over the channel of the
Darling. Unsatisfactory, however, as the discoveries may as yet be
considered in a commercial point of view, the objects for which the
expedition had been fitted out were happily attained. The marsh it had
been directed to examine, was traversed on every side, and the rivers
it had been ordered to trace, were followed down to their terminations
to a distance far beyond where they had ceased to exist as living
streams. To many who may cast their eyes over the accompanying chart,
the extent of newly discovered country may appear trifling; but when
they are told, that there is not a mile of that ground that was not
traversed over and over again, either by Mr. Hume or by myself, that we
wandered over upwards of 600 miles more than the main body of the
expedition, on different occasions, in our constant and anxious search
for water, and that we seldom dismounted from our horses, until long
after sunset, they will acknowledge the difficulties with which we had
to contend, and will make a generous allowance for them; for, however
unsuccessful in some respects the expedition may have been, it
accomplished as much, it is to be hoped, as under such trying
circumstances could have been accomplished. It now only remains for me
to sum up the result of my own observations, and to point out to the
reader, how far the actual state of the interior, has been found to
correspond with the opinions that were entertained of it.

MR. OXLEY'S REMARKS.

I have already stated, in the in