partially flooded land, and there was no deficiency of grass. Mr. Browne
went on a-head with Toonda and Flood, whilst I and Mr. Poole remained
with the party. From the appearance of the country, however, I
momentarily expected to come on the river; but the approach to it from
the westward is extremely deceptive, and we had several miles of box-tree
flats to traverse before the gum-trees shewed their white bark in the
distance. We reached the Darling at half-past five, as the sun's almost
level beams were illuminating the flats, and every blade of grass and
every reed appeared of that light and brilliant green which they assume
when held up to the light. The change from barrenness and sterility to
richness and verdure was sudden and striking, and nothing certainly could
have been more cheering or cheerful than our first camp on the Darling
River. The scene itself was very pretty. Beautiful and drooping trees
shaded its banks, and the grass in its channel was green to the water's
edge. Evening's mildest radiance seemed to linger on a scene so fair, and
there was a mellow haze in the distance that softened every object. The
cattle and horses were up to their flanks in grass and young reeds, and
plants indicative of a better soil, such as the sowthistle, the mallow,
peppermint, and indigofera were growing in profusion around us. Close to
our tents there was a large and hollow gum-tree, in which a new fishing
net had been deposited, but where the owner intended to use it was a
puzzle to us, for it was impossible that any fish could remain in the
shallow and muddy waters of the Darling; which was at its lowest ebb, and
the current was so feeble that I doubted if it really flowed at all.
Whether the natives anticipated the flood which shortly afterwards
swelled it I cannot say, although I am led to believe they did, either
from habit or experience.

So abundant had been the feed that none of the cattle stirred out of
sight of the camp, and we should have started at an early hour, but for
the visit of an old native, the owner of the net we had discovered. It
was with some hesitation that he crossed the river to us, but he did so;
and as soon as he saw me he recognised me as having been in the boat on
the Murray in 1830, though fourteen years had passed since that time, and
he could only have seen me for an hour or two. He was not, however,
singular in his recollection of me, since one of the natives of the
Ana-branch also recol