smoke, they were so barbarously and implacably
hostile and shamelessly dishonest, and so little influenced by reason,
that the more they saw of our superior weapons and means of defence the
more they showed their hatred and tokens of defiance. The day's journey
was over a firmer surface than usual, and we encamped on a bend of the
river in latitude 31 degrees 36 minutes 48 seconds South.

DRY CHANNEL OF A STREAM.

June 30.

The party moved off early. The ground we travelled over, or rather
through, was very soft and exceedingly heavy for the draught animals. At
about five miles we approached a line of trees, extending from the
hollow, which for some days past had appeared between us and the hills on
our left. On examining it I found that it was the dry bed of what had
been a considerable stream, preserving a uniform breadth of about 50
yards; and having lines of flood-marks upon the bank, similar to those of
the Darling, and rising to the height of eight or nine feet. Trees such
as characterised the banks of the Darling but of smaller size grew on its
banks, which had also their flats of polygonum and small gullies similar
to those on that river, but on a lesser scale. Upon the whole it was
evident that this channel at some seasons was filled with a body of
water, the sources of which were in the high ground between the Lachlan
and the Bogan. We had observed so many paths of the natives leading from
the Darling towards the country whence this riverbed ranged that for
several days we were of opinion water was still to be found there. The
utter dryness of the bed was not surprising at a season when large dead
freshwater mussels, weighing 3 1/2 ounces, projected amid the roots of
the grass of two summers, and from ground which was the firmest we could
find for travelling upon with carts. Crossing to the left bank of this
riverbed we continued our course towards an angle of the Darling until we
came again on this tributary, as I supposed it to be. I therefore again
continued along its left bank because it afforded firmer ground than the
cracked plains, and in expectation that it would lead to some near turn
of the main river. When we were rapidly approaching the larger trees by
which the latter was known the dry channel of the minor stream suddenly
turned to the southward, and we finally encamped two miles east of the
nearest part of the Darling; in latitude 31 degrees 44 minutes 28
seconds. This newly discovered channel