December 16.

We proceeded over a perfectly level surface, wooded rather thickly with a broad-leaved eucalyptus, and the Acacia pendula.  The air was cool, and a most refreshing breeze met us in the face during the whole of this day’s journey; the thermometer at sunrise was only 52 degrees.

THE RIVER NAMOI.

After travelling upwards of ten miles we crossed the corner of an open plain, and five miles further on we reached the bank of the river Namoi, and encamped about noon.  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 3/4 feet; the current half a mile per hour, and the height of the banks above the water 37 feet.  The course of the Muluerindie, from the junction of the Peel to that of the Conadilly, is somewhat to the southward of west.  Below the junction of the Conadilly, where the well-known native name is the Namoi, it pursues a north-west course.  The men threw in their lines, but caught during the day only two fishes, similar to those we obtained at Perimbungay.  The alluvial bed of the stream consisted of marl, fragments of red quartz, and other rocks.  A very hard yellow calcareous sandstone also occurred in the bank.

December 17.

Leaving the ground at an early hour, the party travelled for about two miles along the riverbank, the stream appearing deeper and broader as we proceeded.  Six miles on we came upon a narrow branch from the river, which we avoided by turning a little to the right.

STOCKYARD OF THE BUSHRANGER.

We next reached a very large stockyard which the natives said had belonged to George The Barber, meaning The Bushranger.  We saw besides the remains of a house, the gunyas, or huts, of a numerous encampment of natives; and the bones of bullocks were strewed about in great abundance, plainly enough showing the object of the stockyard, and that of The Barber’s alliance with the aborigines of these parts.  The whole country was on fire; but although our guide frequently drew our attention to recent footmarks, we could not discover a single native.

We encamped near this stockyard, beside a lagoon of still water which was as broad and deep as the main stream.  The water was nearly on a level with the surface of the surrounding country, and was obviously supplied from the overflowings of the Namoi, then at some distance to the westward.

SINGULAR FISH.

We caught some small fish, two of them being of a rather singular kind, resembling an eel in the head and shape of the tail, although as short in proportion to their thickness as most other kinds of fish. (Figure 2 Plate 6.)* We found granular felspar in the bank.

(Footnote.  For a description of this fish see note to Chapter 1.5 below.)

VIEW FROM TANGULDA.