Disappointment marks the tone of Oxley’s journal from the start; the exceeding flatness of the country, the many ana-branches of the river, the low altitude of its banks, and the absence of any large tributary streams, above all, the dismal impression made by the monotony of the surroundings, seem to have depressed Oxley’s spirit.  He appears to have formed the idea that the interior tract he was approaching was nothing more than a dead and stagnant marsh —­ a huge dreary swamp, within whose bounds the inland rivers lost their individuality and merged into a lifeless morass.  A more melancholy picture could not be imagined, and with such an awesome thought constantly haunting his mind there is no wonder that he became morbid, and that the dominant tone of his journal, whilst on the Lachlan, is so hopelessly pessimistic.

“These flats,” he says, “are certainly not adapted for cattle; the grass is too swampy, and the bushes, swamps, and lagoons are too thickly intermingled with the better portion to render it a safe or desirable grazing country.  The timber is universally bad and small; a few misshapen gum trees on the immediate banks of the river may be considered an exception.”

The channel of the river now divided, and Oxley followed the channel on the northern side, which they were skirting.  But before they had progressed a mile beyond the point of divergence, they reached the spot where the river overflowed its banks and its course was lost in the marshes.  It was on the 12th of May that they received this check to their as yet uninterrupted progress.

“Observing an eminence about half-a-mile from the south side, we crossed over the horses and baggage at a place where the water was level with the banks, and which, when within its usual channel, did not exceed thirty or forty feet in width.

“We ascended the hill, and had the mortification to perceive that the termination of our research was reached, at least down this branch of the river.  The whole country from the west, north-west, round to the north, was either a complete marsh or lay under water.”

The country to the south and south-west appearing more elevated.  Oxley determined to return to the place where the branches separated, and to try his fortune on the other one.  This, after a while, proved as unsatisfactory as the one they had abandoned.  Bitterly disappointed, Oxley altered his plans entirely.  He resolved to cease trying to follow the river through this water-logged country, and determined to strike out on a direct course to the south coast in the neighbourhood of Cape Northumberland.  In this way he hoped to cross any river that these dreary marshes and swamps gave birth to, and that found an outlet into the Southern Ocean, between Spencer’s Gulf and Cape Otway.