ing
from Hope's Table Land), we continued to travel along the left bank of
the newly found river. Rocky precipices overhanging it, obliged me to
make some detours, and to pass through some scrubs; but still we regained
the banks of the river, although our progress was not considerable. Its
general course was still north-west, to the spot selected for my second
camp on its banks. The channel was now broad; the banks high, rounded,
and grassy; in some places, rocky. Water in the channel was rarely to be
seen, but at the junction of tributaries, where recent temporary showers
seemed to have fallen. By careful observation, I ascertained the
variation of the needle to be 8 deg. 4' E. here. Thermometer, at sunrise,
25 deg.; at 4 P. M., 68 deg.; at 9, 53 deg.. Height above the sea, 1914 feet. (XL.)

30TH JUNE.--The course of the river was now found to turn to the
southward of west; and, even in that direction, rugged cliffs covered
with scrub greatly impeded our progress. I endeavoured to conduct the
carts along the bed of the river, soft and sandy as it was; but we did
not proceed far in it, before rocks, fallen trees, and driftwood, obliged
us to abandon that course as speedily as we could. Then, ascending a
projecting eminence, we plunged into the scrubs; but, even in a southwest
direction, we came upon the river. Pursuing its course along the bank,
southward, I arrived near the base of a fine open forest hill; and,
directing the party to encamp, I hastened to its summit. I there obtained
a view of most of the mountains of the eastern range formerly observed,
and enough of the fixed points, to enable me to determine the position of
this. In the south-west, a line of open forest, and a vast column of
smoke seemed too plainly to mark the further course of our river; but,
towards the north-west, I saw much to reconcile me to this
disappointment. Summits of broken and uncommon aspect, beyond an
intervening woody range, there indicated a much lower and different kind
of country, as if that was, indeed, the basin of a system of northern
waters; the woody intervening range appearing to be the division between
them. As our last explored river again turned southward, it seemed
reasonable to expect, beyond that very continuous range, rivers pursuing
a different course. This range was plainly traceable from the high
mountains more to the eastward, and was continuous westward to three
remarkable conical hills, beyond which, the view did