line.  But the flatness of the north-western line of vision was still more remarkable, and it was difficult to understand how the basin of the Darling, which appeared so narrow below, could find limits there.  The country to the northward, if not a dead level, was varied by only some slight undulations, and it was partially covered with stunted bushes, alternating with a few naked plains.  As far as I could see with my glass no smoke appeared to rise from the vast extent visible in that direction.  After taking the bearings of the different points we returned and recrossed the Darling about sunset.  At the base of the hill we met with several kangaroos, and had some shots (with bullets) at a very tame bustard.  There was a rocky channel where water can be but seldom scarce.  We saw none but, from the presence of kangaroos, we thought that there must have been some very near the hill.  This hill I named Mount Macpherson after the collector of internal revenue at Sydney.

July 30.

Proceeded on our journey by our former route and arrived by four P.M. at our old camp of the 18th and 19th June, which we again occupied.  We were still at a loss to know for what purpose the heaps of one particular kind of grass* had been pulled and so laid up hereabouts.  Whether it was accumulated by the natives to allure birds, or by rats, as their holes were seen beneath, we were puzzled to determine.  The soft ground retained no longer the footsteps imprinted on it by the haymakers, whoever they had been.  The grass was beautifully green beneath the heaps and full of seeds, and our cattle were very fond of this hay.  I found there also two other kinds of grass which were equally new to me, the one being an Andropogon allied to A. bombycinus; the other apparently a species of Myurus.

(Footnote.  Panicum laevinode, Lindley manuscripts; for description see above.)

July 31.

Continued along our route to our former camp of 17th June.

RAIN AGAIN THREATENS.

August 1.

Two smart showers of about two minutes duration each fell during the night, but the wind which had been blowing from the north-west was so parching that the canvas of our tents was quite dry by daybreak.  The sky was overcast with heavy clouds in the morning but by noon it became clear.  We travelled so as to make a short cut on our two days’ journey of the 16th and 17th June, and thus, at about eight miles, we made that part of the river which we had seen formerly when nearly three miles from it, and here we encamped.  As we crossed the plain on which the last kangaroo had been killed we saw many fresh tracks of these animals; and the dogs took after one which they killed, as appeared by their mouths when they returned.

ABSENCE OF KANGAROOS AND EMUS ON THE DARLING.

It may be observed that lower down on the Darling we saw neither kangaroos nor emus, a sufficient proof of the barrenness of the adjacent country.  This day the ground somewhat resembled forest land, and we saw one or two trees of substantial timber of the description which the colonists term mahogany.