ent of damage,
and to repair it. The reeds terminated on both sides of the river some
time before we pulled up, and the country round the camp was more
elevated than usual, and bore the appearance of open forest pasture
land, the timber upon it being a dwarf species of box, and the soil a
light tenacious earth.

ASPECT OF THE COUNTRY AND OF THE RIVER.

About a mile below our encampment of the 12th, we at length came upon a
considerable creek-junction from the S.E. Below it, the river increased
both in breadth and depth; banks were lofty and perpendicular, and even
the lowest levels were but partially covered with reeds. We met with
fewer obstructions in consequence, and pursued our journey with
restored confidence. Towards evening a great change also took place in
the aspect of the country, which no longer bore general marks of
inundation. The level of the interior was broken by a small hill to the
right of the stream, but the view from its summit rather damped than
encouraged my hopes of any improvement. The country was covered with
wood and brush, and the line of the horizon was unbroken by the least
swell. We were on an apparently boundless flat, without any fixed point
on which to direct our movements, nor was there a single object for the
eye to rest upon, beyond the dark and gloomy wood that surrounded us on
every side.

Soon after passing this hill, the whale-boat struck upon a line of
sunken rocks, but fortunately escaped without injury. Mulholland, who
was standing in the bow, was thrown out of her, head foremost, and got
a good soaking, but soon recovered himself. The composition of the rock
was iron-stone, and it is the first formation that occurs westward of
the dividing range. We noticed a few cypresses in the distance, but the
general timber was dwarf-box, or flooded-gum, and a few of the acacia
longa scattered at great distances. In verifying our position by some
lunars, we found ourselves in 142 degrees 46 minutes 30 seconds of east
long., and in lat. 35 degrees 25 minutes 15 seconds S. the mean
variation of the compass being 4 degrees 10 minutes E. it appearing
that we were decreasing the variation as we proceeded westward.

On the 13th, we passed the first running stream that joins the
Morumbidgee, in a course of more than 340 miles. It came from the S.E.,
and made a visible impression on the river at the junction, although in
tracing it up, it appeared to be insignificant in itself. The
circumsta