l about twelve miles north of our position, but was obstructed in
his further progress by another marsh, in consequence of which he returned
to the camp the next day; in the mean time, I had taken the boat, and
proceeded down the Macquarie, my way being at first considerably
obstructed by fallen timber: clearing this obstacle, however, I got into
a deeper channel, with fine broad reaches, and a depth of from twelve to
fifteen feet water. I had a short time previously cleared all woods and
trees, and was now in the midst of reeds of great height. After proceeding
onwards for about eight miles from the place whence I started, my course
was suddenly and unexpectedly checked; I saw reeds before me, and expected
I was about to turn an angle of the river, but I found that I had got to
the end of the channel, and that the river itself had ceased to exist.
Confounded at such a termination to a stream, whose appearance justified
the expectation that it would have led me through the heart of the marsh
to join Mr. Hume, I commenced a most minute examination of the place, and
discovered two creeks, if they deserve the name, branching, the one to the
north-west, and the other to the north-east; after tracing the former a
short distance, I reached its termination, and in order to assure myself
that such was the case, I walked round the head of it by pushing through
the reeds; it being then too dark to continue where I was, I returned to
a place on the river, at which I had rested during a shower, and slept
there. In the morning I again went to the spot to examine the
north-eastern branch, when I was equally disappointed. I then examined the
space between the two creeks, opposite to the main channel of the river,
and where the bank receives the force of the current. Here I saw water in
the reeds, but it was scarcely ankle deep, and was running off to the
north-west quicker than the waters of the river, which had almost an
imperceptible motion, I was therefore at once convinced that it was not
permanent, but had lodged there in the night, during which much rain had
fallen. I next pushed my way through the reeds into the marsh, and at
length clearly perceived that the waters which were perfectly sweet, after
running several courses, flowed off to the north, towards which point
there was an apparent declination or dip. Finding it impossible to
proceed further, I regained the boat, and thence returned to the camp,
under a conviction that I h