r a
few miles, it changed into an open silver-leaved Ironbark forest, with
lighter soil. About six miles from our last camp, we came upon a fine
creek (with Casuarinas and palm-trees), flowing from the mountains on a
north-easterly course; and, about three miles further, to the W.N.W., we
came to another creek, and numerous palm-trees growing near it. Following
up the latter, we found a fine water-hole surrounded by reeds, and which
is probably fed by a spring. The forest was well grassed; and a small
Acacia, about fifteen or twenty feet high, with light green bipinnate
leaves (from which exuded an amber-coloured eatable gum), formed groves
and thickets within it. A Capparis, a small stunted tree, was in fruit:
this fruit is about one inch long and three-quarters of an inch broad,
pear-shaped and smooth, with some irregular prominent lines. Capparis
Mitchelii has a downy fruit, and is common in the scrubs. A small
trailing Capparis, also with oblong eatable fruit, was first observed on
a hill near Ruined Castle Creek, in lat. 25 degrees 10 minutes: we met
with it frequently afterwards. We were encamped in the shade of a fine
Erythrina; and the Corypha-palm, Tristania, the flooded-gum, the
silver-leaved Ironbark, Tripetelus, and a species of Croton, grew around
us. A species of Hypochaeris and of Sonchus, were greedily eaten by our
horses; the large Xeranthemum grew on the slopes, among high tufts of
kangaroo grass. A species of Borage (Trichodesma zeylanica), with fine
blue flowers, was first seen here; and the native raspberry, and Ficus
muntia, were in fruit. In the afternoon, I went with Brown up the range,
following the bed of our creek; and, having ascended a spur of sandstone,
with gullies on each side, we came to a large basaltic mountain, clothed
with fine open timber, and a great number of arborescent Zamias.

Dec. 10.--Accompanied by Charley, I went in search of a passage over the
range. We ascended several hills in order to obtain general views, and
found that the level country, over which we had travelled during the last
two days, was of less extent than I had anticipated. To the north-east by
east, ranges rise with the characteristic outlines of the basalt and
phonolite,--in peaks and long stretched flat-topped hills, with
undulations openly timbered extending at their base. One valley descended
to the north-north-east; another to the northward. The principal range
has a direction from south-west to north-ea