he Bogan being bounded on the west by a succession of low hills, no
other river could have been reasonably looked for in such a direction.
Again, the connection of that chain of low hills with the higher lands of
the colony, being thus indicated by the course of the Bogan, it is not
probable that this traveller, had he been aware of the fact, would have
described New Year's range, which is about the last of these hills, as
"the FIRST elevation in the interior of Eastern Australia, to the
westward of Mount Harris." On the contrary, the divergent lines of the
Bogan and the Lachlan might rather have been supposed to include a hilly
country which, increasing in height in proportion as its breadth thus
became greater, would naturally form that high ground so likely to
separate the Upper Darling from the valley of the Murray.

Secondly. The continuous course of the Bogan into the Darling being thus
at length determined, Duck creek, a deeper chain of ponds in the level
country nearer to the Macquarie, could only be considered the final
channel for the waters of that river in their course towards the Darling;
and it only remained to be ascertained on our return at what point these
waters of the Macquarie separated during its floods from the main stream.

Thirdly. The non-existence of any swamp under Oxley's Tableland furnished
another proof of the extreme vicissitudes of climate to which that part
of Australia is subject. This spot had been specially recommended to
government by Captain Sturt as the best place for my depot, on account of
the water to be found there, whereas we had found that vicinity so dry
that had I relied too implicitly on the suggestion I must, as already
observed, in all probability, have lost the cattle.

Fourthly. The water of the Darling, which when discovered had been salt,
was now fresh, thus proving that there was on this last occasion a
greater abundance of water in the river; while the swamp dried up, proved
that less remained upon the surface than when this country had been
previously visited.

The geological character of the country was obvious enough, the hills
consisting of quartz rock and that fine-grained red sandstone which
characterises the most barren regions of New South Wales. Below this rock
granite appeared in the bed of the Bogan precisely at the place where
this river, after a long course nearly parallel to the Macquarie, at
length takes a remarkable turn westward towards the Darli