ty in ascertaining upon what part of it we were, by a reference
to the chart; and it proved of infinite service to us, since we were
enabled to judge of our distance from our several camps, as we gained
them day by day with the current against us; and we should often have
stopped short of them, weary and exhausted, had we not known that two
or three reaches more would terminate our labour for the day.

REMARKABLE CLIFFS.

From the spot last spoken of, the river held on a due south course for
the remainder of the day; and at the same time changed its character.
It lost its sandy bed and its current together, and became deep, still,
and turbid, with a muddy bottom. It increased considerably in breadth,
and stretched away before us in magnificent reaches of from three to
six miles in length. The cliffs under which we passed towered above us,
like maritime cliffs, and the water dashed against their base like the
waves of the sea. They became brighter and brighter in colour, looking
like dead gold in the sun's rays; and formed an unbroken wall of a mile
or two in length. The natives on their summits showed as small as
crows; and the cockatoos, the eagles, and other birds, were as specks
above us; the former made the valley reverberate with their harsh and
discordant notes. The reader may form some idea of the height of these
cliffs, when informed that the king of the feathered race made them his
sanctuary. They were continuous on both sides of the river, but
retired, more or less, from it, according to the extent of the alluvial
flats. The river held a serpentine course down the valley through which
it passed, striking the precipices alternately on each side.

The soil on the flats was better, and less mixed with sand than it had
been, but the flats were generally covered with reeds, though certainly
not wholly subject to flood at any time. The polygonum still prevailed
upon them in places, and the blue-gum tree alone occupied their
outskirts. From the several elevations we ascended, the country to the
N.W. appeared undulating and well wooded; that to the eastward, seemed
to be brushy and low. Certainly there was a great difference in the
country, both to the eastward and to the westward. We had frequent
views of the mountains we had seen, or, I should have said, of a
continuation of them. They bore nearly west from us at a very great
distance all day.

We fell in with several tribes, but did not see our old friend,
alth