things, the aborigines seemed to entertain a sort of superstitious belief in the virtues of all kinds of physic. I found that this distressed tribe were also strangers in the land' to which they had now resorted. Their meekness, as strangers, and their utter ignorance of the country they were in, was very unusual in natives, and particularly excited our sympathy, when contrasted with the prouder bearing and intelligence of the native of the plain who had undertaken to be my guide."

On the 6th they continued their journey, crossing low ridges of rich earth, branches from high ranges on their left, and came upon a portion of the plains. The wide expanse of open level country extended in a northerly direction as far as human vision could reach, and, being clear of trees, presented a remarkable contrast to the settled districts of the colony. The soil of these plains looked well, the grass good, and herds of cattle, browsing at a distance, adding pastoral beauty to what had been recently a desert. Leaving the cart track they had been following, and which led to some cattle station, the party again entered the woods, and turned a little to the north, their object being to reach the bank of Peel's River at Wallamoul, which had been laid down as holding a northerly course, and therefore likely to lead to any greater river flowing to the north-west, as reported by "the Barber." Crossing a deep dry bed, called by the natives "Nazabella," they encamped near some of its ponds, at a shady spot where the long grass had been burnt, in other parts reaching to the heads of the horses, and remained there another day to recruit-" the rich soil of the valley being nearly as deep as the bed of the rivulet, which is twenty feet lower than the surface."

"Dec. 8.-A road or track which we found at about half-a-mile east from the camp, led us very directly on the bearing of 3350 to Loder's station, which was distant about six miles from our encampment. Here stood a tolerable house of slabs, with a good garden adjoining, in charge of an old stockman and his equally aged wife. This man was named by the blacks' Longanay' (Long Ned). This station was situated on a fine running stream called the Cuerindie, and the state of the sheep and cattle about it proved the excellence of the pas

VOL. XLIV. NO. CCLXXVII.

ture. We had passed the limits of the territory open to the selections of settlers, in crossing the Liverpool range; and the more remote country is not likely to come into the market soon: such stations as this of Loder were held, therefore, only by the right of pre-occupancy, which has been so generally recognised between the colonists themselves, that the houses, &c. of such stations are sometimes dis

posed of for valuable considerations, although the land is still liable to be sold by the Government. A native named 'Jemmy,' whom I met with here, agreed to conduct me, by the best way for carts, to Wallamoul on the Peel, for which service I undertook to reward him with a tomahawk.

should ford the Cuerindie, which flows to It was necessary that we the north-west, and, notwithstanding the steepness of its banks, we effected a passage without difficulty, guided by 'Jemmy.' One mile beyond this, another creek lay in our way. It was smaller, but much more formidable and difficult to cross, for the bottom and banks consisted of blue

mud or clay, half-hardened on the surface, yet soft and yielding below. It was not without considerable delay that we effected the passage of this, for a wheel of one of the carts stuck fast in the mud, and it was necessary to dig the earth from before the other wheel before we could release the vehicle. At length every thing was got across, and we, fortunately, met no other

impediment for six miles. We then crossed the channels of two rivulets, neither of At half-past

which contained any water. having at length found a green mantling four I wished to encamp, and the natives pool in the bed of the united channel of the two water-courses, there we pitched our tents at a place called Burandua.' Bad as the water seemed to be, 'Jemmy' soon obtained some that was both clear and cool, by digging a hole in the sand near the pool. This was a quiet and sensible fellow; he steadily pursued the course he recommended for the "wheelbarrows" as he termed our carts; answering all my queries briefly and decidedly, either by a nod of assent, or the negative monosyllablebel,' and shake of the head. His walk was extremely light and graceful; his shoulders were neatly knit, and the flowing luxuriance of his locks was restrained by a bit of half-inch cord, the two ends hanging, like a double queue, halfway down his back. He was followed by his gin and a child, which she, although it was old enough to walk, usually carried on her back.

"The air of the evening was very refreshing, and the sun set with peculiar brilliancy. We had travelled during the 2 Y

whole day on good soil, and the ploughed appearance of the surface was very remarkable in various places, particularly a little to the South of Loder's station, where the hollow seemed to terminate in a common channel. I noticed, also, that the direction of all the water-courses was towards the

north-west, and it was evident that they occasionally overflowed their banks."

On the 11th they reached the bank of the Peel at Wallamoul, the lowest cattle station upon the river, occupied by Mr Brown, who had there about 1600 head of cattle. On the 9th they had passed over an open and grassy plain, skirted with wood, where there was abundant water in a channel called by the natives "Carrabobbila;" but the water, at the spot where they encamped, was hot and muddy, from which the blacks, however, knew well how to obtain a cool and clear draught, by first scratching a hole in the soft sand under the pool, thus making a filter, and then throwing into it some tufts of long grass, through which they sucked the cooler water thus purified from the sand or gravel. The gin quenched her thirst with still greater satisfaction, by rushing into a pool, and drinking as she sat immersed up to the lip. On reaching the top of the range separating the basin of the Peel from that of the waters falling to the Liverpool plains, they were agreeably surprised to find that the opposite side of the hills, and the whole face of the country beyond them, presented a very different appearance from that through which they had passed. A gently sloping extremity lay before them for a good many miles on their proposed route, and there were no intervening gullies. The range they had crossed seemed to extend from the Liverpool range to the northward, as far as could then be seen; but the native guide said that it soon terminated on the river "Callala," or Peel, whose course, he said, turned westward, a fact corroborating, so far, the statements of "the Barber." During several days of this journey, before their arrival on the 11th at Wallamoul, the fire was one day's advance of the party, and thus the flames having cleared every thing away, their camp was not exposed to danger. But on the 9th the country seemed all on fire around them; and the hills they crossed on the 10th had been all in a blaze the night before, and trees lay smok

ing around their route, the conflagration having been quenched by a seasonable fall of rain. At Wallamoul," Jemmy," the native guide, received his promised tomahawk, and so did "Monday," his brother, who met him there; and his place was supplied by a native, named " Mr Brown," who agreed to accompany the party, on condition that he should receive blankets for himself and his "gin," and a tomahawk, or small hatchet, so valuable a substitute for their stone-hatchet, that almost all the natives within reach of the colony have them, even where the white man is known as yet only by name, and as the manufacturer of this most important of all implements to the Australian natives. On the 13th, all arrangements being completed, the encampment was broken up, and the party proceeded into the Terra Incog nita, in pursuit of the course of the Peel river. "We soon advanced, with feelings of intense interest, into the country before us, and impressed with the responsibility of commencing the first chapter of its history. All was new and nameless there, but by this beginning we were to open a way for the many other beginnings of civilised man, and thus extend his dominion over the last holds of barbarism."

On the 16th, they encamped on the river Nammoy. This stream, having received the Conadilly from the left bank, had here an important appearance; the breadth of the water was 100 feet, its mean depth 11 feet; the current half-a mile an hour, and the height of the banks above the water 37 feet.

The course of the Maluerindie, from the junction of the Peel to that of the Conadilly, is somewhat to the southward of west. Below the junction the well-known native name is Nammoy.

Their route from Wallamoul to the Nammoy had lain through tracts of promise the bank, at the ford of Wallenburra, presenting a section of at least 50 feet of rich earth-and on an extensive open track, named Mulluba, the undulations were as great as those which occur between London and Hampstead, the whole bearing a remarkable resemblance to an enclosed and cultivated country. The ridges exactly resembled furrows in fallow land; and trees grew in rows, as if

connected with field enclosures-parts where bushes or grass had been recently burned looking red or black, and thus contributing to the appearance of cultivation. The soil was indeed well worthy of cultivation, for it consisted of a rich black mould, so loose and deep, that it yawned in cracks as if for want of feet to tread it down. But the want was of water -one small and dry channel appearing to be the only line of drainage in wet weather from the extensive open country of Mulluba. But it could not fail to strike Major Mitchell, that much might be done to remedy the natural disadvantages, whether of a superfluity of water lodging on the plains in rainy seasons, or of too great scarcity of moisture in dry weather, by cutting channels on the lines of natural drainage, which would serve to draw off the water from the plains, and concentrate and preserve a sufficient supply for use in time of drought.

A few hours after leaving the encampment on the Nammoy, the party came on a very large stock yard, which the natives said had belonged to "George the Barber." They saw, besides, the remains of a house, and the " gunyas," or huts, of a numerous encampment of natives.

The bones of bullocks were strewed about in great abundance, plainly enough showing the object of the stock-yard, and that of the Barber's alliance with the aborigines. The whole country was on fire, and, though the guide frequently drew their attention to recent footmarks, not a single native was to be seen. Distant about two miles from this stock-yard lay due north the Pic of "Tangulda," and as the Barber had positively stated that the only practicable way to the "big river" was NE. by N. from Tangulda, the Major mounted the pie, and saw the Nammoy's course through a cluster of hills, between which it passed to a lower country in the north-west. These hills were connected on the right bank with the pic, and also with a low range on the east and north-east, whose western extremities appeared to terminate westward on the vale of the Nammoy, as far northward as he could see them in perspective. It appeared, then, that the lowest part of the range lay exactly in the direction described by the Barber. Some bold and remarkable

hills appeared at no great distance to the right of that line; but the country between Tangulda and the lowest part of the horizon seemed so gentle and undulating, that he felt it his duty, before tracing the Nammoy further, to explore the country in the direction so particularly described by the Bush-ranger. Quitting, therefore, the line of the Nammoy, they proceeded in the direction north-east by north from Tangulda; and, after journeying some twenty miles on the 18th, early in the morning of the 19th they encamped at the stream of the valley, which the Major named Maule's river. Leaving the cattle to be refreshed during the day, he proceeded, with the native and two men, to examine the mountains. After climbing about a mile and a half, he reached a lofty summit, where he hoped to have obtained a view beyond the range, or, at least, to have discovered how it might be crossed, but was disappointed; distant summits, more lofty and difficult of access, obstructed the view towards the east, north, and even west; the only link connecting the hill they had gained with those still higher being a very bold naked rock, presenting a perpendicular side at least 200 feet in height. To proceed in that direction was quite out of the question.

"As we descended, we came suddenly on an old woman, who, as soon as she saw us, ran off in terror. I ordered the two men who accompanied me to keep back, until Mr Brown' could overtake and speak to her, saying that we intended no harm; and she was easily persuaded, after a brief conversation with our guide, to allow us to come near. She presented a most humiliating specimen of our racea figure shortened and shrivelled with age, entirely without clothing; one eye alone saw through the dim decay of natureseveral large fleshy excrescences projected from the sides of her head like so many

ears-and the jawbone was visible, through

a gash or scar, on one side of her chin. The withered arms and hands, covered with earth by digging and scraping for the snakes and worms on which she fed, more resembled the limbs and claws of a quadruped. She spoke with a slow nasal whine, prolonged at the end of each sentence, and this our guide imitated in speaking to her. The mosquitoes tormented her much, as appeared from her incessantly slapping her limbs and body. 'Mr

Brown's' conversation seemed animated on some subject, but not, as I at last suspect

ed, on that most important to us; for, when I enquired, after he had spoken a long time, what she said of the Barber and the way across the mountains, he was obliged to commence a set of queries, evidently for the first time. She said horses might pass, pointing at the same time further to the eastward-but our guide seemed unwilling to put further questions, saying she had promised to send at sunset to our tents two young boys who could inform us better. Even in such a wretched state of existence, ornaments had their charms with this female, when even the

deavoured to pass to the northward; but, judging it nearly impracticable, the leader wisely desisted from any further attempt on the direction pointed out by the veracious Barber, and determined on returning to Tangulda, that, by following the Nammoy, he might endeavour to turn this range, and so enter the region beyond it. On the 22d, having again encamped on the Nammoy, six miles from Tangulda, at a spot favourable for the formation of a depot-the waters clear and

ed.

She had kangaroo teeth set round her brow, these being fastened to the few remaining hairs, and a knot of brown feathers decorated her right temple. The roasting snake which we had seen in the morning, belonged, as we now learned, to this witch of the glen.

"The boys did not visit us in the evening, as Mr Brown' had expected, and he appeared unusually thoughtful when I found him sitting alone by the water-side at some distance from the camp. I was then making arrangements for carrying the bulk of our provisions and equipment on pack-horses and bullocks, across this range, intending to leave the remainder of our stores at this spot in charge of two men armed; and of this measure Mr Brown' did not approve. "Dec. 20. When the packhorses had been loaded, and we were about to start, leaving the remainder of our provisions in charge of two men, we discovered that our native guide was missing. I had promised him for his services, a tomahawk, a knife, and a blanket, and as he was already far beyond his own beat as I supposed, he might have had the promised rewards, by merely asking for them. We had always given him plenty of flour, also his choice of any part of the kangaroos we killed. It had been observed by the men, that the intelligence received from the old woman had made him extremely uneasy, and he had also expressed to them on the previous evening, his apprehensions about the natives in the country before us. I was very sorry for the loss of Mr Brown.' He was very comical, as indeed, these half-civilised aborigines generally are: he liked to be close shaved, wore a white neckcloth, and declared it to be his intention of becoming, from that time forward, a white fellow.' I concluded that he had returned to his own tribe; and, that he had been unwilling to acknowledge to me his dread of the 'myall' tribes."

The expedition then proceeded up the valley, or eastward, and en

at hand overhung with pines, and lofty blue gum-trees growing on the margin -Major Mitchell resolved to make a voyage of discovery in canvass-boats down the river-the channel of all the waters of the Peel, the Maluerindie, and Conadilly.

"We passed along several reaches without meeting any impediment, but, at length, an accumulation of drift-timber and gravel brought us up at a spot where two large trees had fallen across the stream from opposite banks. From the magnitude of these trunks and others which, interwoven with rubbish, and buried in gravel, supported them, I anticipated a long delay, but the activity of the whole party was such, that a clear passage was opened in less than half an hour. The sailors swam about like frogs, and, swimming, could cut, with a cross cut saw, trees under water. I found I could survey the river we proceeded, by measuring with a pocket sextant the angle subtended by the two ends of a twelve-feet rod-held in the second boat at the opposite end of each reach the bearing being observed at the same time. By referring to one of Brewster's tables, the angle subtended by the twelve-feet rod, I ascertained the distance in feet. This operation occasioned

as

a delay of a few seconds only, just as the last boat arrived in sight of each place of observation.

"Several black swans floated before us -apparently not much alarmed even at the unwonted sight of boats on the Nammoy. The evenness of the banks and reaches, and the depth and stillness of the waters were such, that I might have traced the river downwards, at least so far as such facilities continued, had our boats been of a stronger material than canvass. But dead trees lay almost invisible under water, and at the end of a short reach where I awaited the re-appearance of the second boat, we heard suddenly, confused shouts, and, on making to the shore, and running to the spot, I found that the boat

had run foul of some sunken tree-and filled almost immediately. Mr, White had, on the instant, managed to run her ashore across another sunken trunk, and thus prevented her from going down in deep water, opposite to another steep bank. By this disaster our whole stock of tea, sugar, and tobacco, with part of our flour and pork, were immersed in the water, but fortunately all the gunpowder had been stowed in the first boat. This catastrophe furnished another instance of the activity of the sailors: the cargo was got out, and the sunken boat being hauled up,

a rent was discovered in the canvass of her larboard bow.

This the sailmaker patched with a piece of canvass; a fire

was made; tar was melted and applied; the boat was set afloat; reloaded, and again under weigh in an hour and a half. 'Once more upon the waters,' every thing seemed to promise a successful voyage down the river; but our hopes were doomed to be of short duration, for, as I again awaited the re-appearance of the second boat, a shout similar to the first again arose, and on running across the point of. land within the river bend, I found her once more on the point of going down from similar damage sustained in the starboard bow. It was now near 5 P.M., and the labours of the day had been sufficient

to convince me that the course of the

Nammoy could be much more conveniently traced at that time by a journey on land, than with boats of canvass on the water."

On the 31st December they resume their land-journey, and on the 5th of January arrive in the country beyond the mountains which they had in vain attempted to cross, having found an open and accessible way round their ridges; and it now remained to be ascertained whether "the large river," as described by the Barber, was near; according to him it was the first river met with after crossing the range north east by north of Tangulda.

One of the great difficulties of this country is the want of water; and, as the expedition travelled in the very height of the Australian summer, which is our winter, they voluntarily took the bull by the horns. The thermometer was frequently at a hundred, and the sufferings of the men and cattle were often dreadfully severe. On the 6th of January we thus find him searching for water. At length the wheel of one of the carts, and the axle of another, became unserviceable. The Major then rode forward for about three miles in search of water

for an encampment. He came upon a slight hollow, and followed it down, but it disappeared in a level plain surrounded by rising grounds. The search became anxious. One dry pond encouraged his hopes of finding water, and he continued his search along a flat where the grass had been recently on fire. From this, pursuing a kangaroo, he came upon a wellmarked water-course, with deep holes, line of these holes downwards, he at but they were all dry. Tracing the last was fortunate enough to find a Here, therefore, deep pool of water. they encamped, and their good fortune was not at an end, for they soon after found two very large ponds on a rocky bed. In our verdurous climate we know little of the miseries that want of water occasions in others; we lose half the genuine enjoyments of simple nature by having them in too great profusion. These pools seem to have made every one happy; such are the virtues of a draught of cold water. The very landscape enjoyed it, for the spot was covered with rich grass, and was enclosed by shady thickets. "The prospect," says Major Mitchell," of two days' repose for the cattle in that verdure, and under those shades, was most refreshing to us all. It was, indeed, a charming spot, enlivened by numbers of pigeons, and the songs of little birds in strange but pleasing notes."

Still the heat was intense; the thermometer was at ninety during the night. Few of the men could sleep, there was not a breath of wind, and the heat was overpowering. Thus even night, which had previously afforded a relief from the day, was no longer their friend. The effect was formidable, weakening their cattle, drying up the water, destroying their wheels, and nourishing the fires in the grass and woods, which covered the country with smoke, until, in the narrator's words, "humidity seemed to us the very essence of existence, water almost an object of adoration." The thermometer at this date (it was January) ranged from 96 to 101 during the day; and, during the last five nights, had stood as high as 90 from sunset to sunrise! From the time of their leaving Sydney they had met with only one day of rain. They now left each "friendly water-hole in the greatest uncertainty whether