um flat; there being a little sand hill on one side of
it, under which I determined to stop for the night.

While the men were tethering the horses on the best part of the flat,
where there happened to be a little green grass, Mr. Stuart and I walked
up the sand hill; but in the obscure light then prevailing, we could not
see any thing distinctly. It appeared, however, that the country before
us was traversed by a belt either of forest or of scrub; there was a long
dark line running across the country, but we could not make out what it
was, so that we descended to our little bivouac full of hope, and anxious
for the morning dawn to satisfy ourselves as to what we had been looking
at. Day had scarcely broke when we were again on the hill; and as objects
became clearer, saw a broad belt of gum-trees extending from the
southward of east to the north-west. It was bounded on either side by
immense plains, on which were here and there ridges of sand, but at a
great distance from each other. There was another small sand hill distant
four miles, and an apparently high and broken chain of mountains was
visible to the N.E., distant more than 50 miles. The trees were not more
than three miles from us, and were denser and seemingly larger than any
we had seen; and although we could not see any water glittering amidst
the foliage, yet I could not but hope that we were on the eve of some
important discovery. There were likewise mountains in the distance, with
broken lofty peaks, exactly resembling the Mount Serle chain, and I
ventured to hope that I had at length found a way to escape from the
gloomy region to which we had been so long confined. Descending from our
position we pushed for a dark mass of foliage to the N.E., and shortly
after crossing the dry bed of a lagoon, found ourselves riding through an
open box-tree forest, amidst an abundance of grass. At half a mile
further we were brought up by our arrival on the banks of a magnificent
channel. There was a large sheet of water to our left, covered with wild
fowl. Flooded gum-trees of large size grew on its banks, and its
appearance was altogether imposing. I stood looking in admiration on the
broad mirror so close to me, and upon a sight so unusual; and I deeply
regretted at that moment that Mr. Browne was not with me to enjoy the
gratification of such a scene.

We dismounted and turned our horses out to feed on the long grass in the
bed of this beautiful creek, and whilst Mo