e 840 feet; at about forty-five miles further
northward the ground rose to upwards of 1700 feet, but immediately
beyond, he reached a river flowing north-west, the height of which was
only 1400 feet above the sea. He had thus crossed this dividing higher
ground, between the parallels of 29 degrees and 28 degrees. It appears,
therefore, that all the interior rivers we know of to the northward of
the Morumbidgee, belong to the basin of the Karaula; this stream
flowing southward, and hence the disappearance of the Macquarie and
other lower rivers may be understood, for all along the banks of the
Karaula, the Gwydir, and the Nammoy, the country, though not swampy,
bears marks of frequent inundation; thus the floods occasioned by these
rivers united, cover the low country, and receive the Macquarie so that
no channel marks its further course.

That a basin may be found to the northward receiving the waters of the
northern part of the coast range in a similar manner is extremely
probable, and that they form a better river, because the angle is more
acute between the high ground, which must bound it on the N.E. and the
watershed on the south. I therefore prepared to cross the Karaula, in
hopes of seeing the head at least of such a river, and to explore the
country two degrees further northward, but moving in a N.W. direction.
My tent was struck, and I had just launched my portable boat for the
purpose of crossing the river, when Mr. Surveyor Finch, whom I had
instructed to bring up a supply of flour, arrived with the distressing
intelligence, that two of his men had been killed by the natives, who
had taken the flour, and were in possession of everything he had
brought--all the cattle, including his horse, being also dispersed or
lost. I therefore determined not to extend my excursion further, as the
party were already on reduced rations, and on the 8th instant I retired
from the Karaula, returning by the marked line, which being cut through
thick scrubs in various places, is now open, forming a tolerably direct
line of communication in a N.W. direction from Sydney, to a river,
beyond which the survey may be extended whenever His Excellency the
Governor thinks fit.

The natives had never troubled my party on our advance; indeed I only
saw them when I came upon them by surprise, and then they always ran
off. Their first visit was received at my camp on the Karaula, during
my absence down that river, when they were very friendl