mped
without water on a fine, open, forest flat, about two miles southward of
the former range.

TRACES OF CAPTAIN STURT'S VISIT.

May 17.

At two miles from our bivouac we crossed a small rill descending to the
south-east from hills which might be New Year's range. At 5 1/4 miles we
encamped on the Bogan, the most northern but one of five hills supposed
to be the New Year's range, bearing 240 degrees. From this point the
northern extremity of the ridge extending from the hills bore 25 degrees.
At twelve o'clock I went to these heights, and on the first I ascended I
found several stumps of pine (or Callitris pyramidalis) which had been
cut down with an axe, the remains of them being still visible amongst the
ashes of a fire. I was thus satisfied that this was the hill on which
Captain Sturt's party burnt the trees when a man was missing. Still
however a better range to the westward was unaccounted for; but, on
ascending a hill which was still higher and whose rocky crest was clear
of trees, I was able to identify the whole by the bearings of the high
land as given in Captain Sturt's book, and by the strip of plain visible
in the south, which had appeared to that traveller to resemble the bed of
a rapid river. This plain happened to be the one we had crossed the day
before, and I had then observed the waterholes, also mentioned, and that
they had been long dry. No traces besides those already noticed remained
of the visit of the first discoverers of New Year's range.

During my absence three natives had been near the camp, two old men and
one very strong and tall young one. They appeared very much afraid, and
barely remained to receive the flag of truce (a green branch) sitting
with their eyes fixed on the ground and retiring soon after. I do not
think any water could be found nearer than the Bogan at this time,
although I observed hollows between the hills where it would probably
remain some time after rain, and where, I suppose, Captain Sturt's party
found it. I made the latitude of the camp to be 30 degrees 26 minutes 24
seconds, and that of the hill 30 degrees 27 minutes 45 seconds.

May 18.

We moved off to the northward, and at seven miles came upon the river
where there was a reach for about a mile of deep water; and soon after we
attained that part of it where the bed was of granite, but quite dry. The
bank was here unusually even, like that of a canal, having also little
wood; no polygonum or rhagodia app