of their chiefs. He said that he had
first crossed vast plains named Balyran, and, on approaching the sea, he
had seen a burning mountain named Courada. He described, with great
apparent accuracy, the courses of the known streams of the northern
interior which united, as he stated, in the Namoi, a river first
mentioned by him; and, according to his testimony, Peel's river entered
the Namoi by flowing westward from where Mr. Oxley had crossed it.

Now this was contrary to the course assigned to the Peel in the maps by
early travellers, but consistent nevertheless with more recent surveys.
Vague accounts of a great river beyond Liverpool plains, flowing
north-west, were current about the time General Darling embarked for
England. The attention of the acting governor, Colonel Lindesay, was
particularly drawn to the question by this report of Clarke, and also by
the subsequent proposals of various persons, to conduct any expedition
sent in search of the great river.

PLAN OF EXPLORATION.

There are few undertakings more attractive to the votaries of fame or
lovers of adventure than the exploration of unknown regions; but Sir
Patrick Lindesay, with due regard to the responsibility which my office
seemed to impose upon me, as successor to Mr. Oxley, at once accepted my
proffered services to conduct a party into the interior.

The principal object of my plan was the exploration of Australia, so that
whether the report of the river proved true or false, the results of the
expedition would be, at least, useful in affording so much additional
information; equally important geographically, whether positive or
negative.

After I had surveyed extensive tracts of territory I never could separate
the question respecting the course of any river from that of the
situation of the higher land necessary to furnish its sources and confine
its basin. I could not entertain the idea of a river distinct from these
conditions, so necessary to the existence of one; and it appeared to me
that if a large river flowed to the north-west of any point north of
Liverpool plains its sources could only be sought for in the Coast Range
in the opposite direction; or to the eastward of these plains.

Various rivers were known to arise on that side of the Coast Range; the
streams from Liverpool plains flowing northward; the Peel, the Gwydir,
and the Dumaresq, arising in the Coast Range, and falling, as had been
represented, to the north-westward. I pro