learn nothing from them about the general
course of the Darling lower down. I gave them a clasp-knife and two young
pups of a good breed for killing kangaroos. They expressed astonishment
at everything (no common trait in the aborigines) and I was obliged to
sit cross-legged before a very old chief nearly blind while he examined
my dress, shirt, pockets, etc. This tribe, like the others, was not at
all numerous.

We proceeded until we arrived under the north-western extremity of
Dunlop's range, when we encamped on the margin of a small lagoon,
evidently the remains of some flood which had been produced by the
overflowing of the river, only half a mile distant to the north-west. The
lagoon was more convenient to us for watering our cattle than the river,
the left bank of which, adjacent to our camp, was broken to a much
greater distance back than I had observed it to be anywhere higher up.

ASCEND DUNLOP'S RANGE.

June 13.

The wheels of the two carts requiring some repairs, and it being also
necessary to shoe several horses, I thought it advisable to rest the
party this day: I wished also to ascend Dunlop's range. On climbing to
the top I found that it consisted of a chain of hills composed of a very
hard sandstone, or quartz rock, similar to that of D'Urban's group. The
summit was bare, not only of trees but even of grass, or any vegetation.
This nakedness was however the more favourable for my chief object, which
was to obtain a view of the distant country. The weather was not very
auspicious, the sky being cloudy, and slight showers fell occasionally.
The height of these hills is not considerable, the summit of that which I
ascended was about 528 feet above the plains. It was seven miles to the
south-east of the camp and at the north-west extremity of the range, or
the most western part visible from D'Urban's group. I never ascended a
hill with feelings of keener interest in the views it commanded. Eastward
I beheld that hilly country which I had always considered to lie in the
best line of exploration; and from this point it looked well.

HIGH LAND DISCOVERED TO THE WESTWARD.

I could easily trace the further course of the Darling for about 20 miles
westward; but the most remarkable feature discoverable from the hill was
the undulating character of the country to the north-west beyond the
river. That region no longer presented a dead flat like the ocean, but
had upon it various eminences some resembling low p