to conclude that he seldom frequents those parts.  At eight miles our course was intercepted by a deep and rapid river, the largest that we had yet seen.  I had approached within a few yards of the brink; and I was not aware of its being near until I saw the opposite water-worn shore, and the living waters hurrying along to the westward.  They were white and turbid, and the banks, consisting of clay, were nearly perpendicular at this point, and about twenty feet higher than the surface of the stream.  On further examination I found that the course was very tortuous and the water deep.  My horse was however got across by a man wading up to the neck.  The softness of the clay near the stream at some parts, and the steep water-worn face of the banks at others, rendered the passage difficult.

SEND BACK FOR THE PARTY ON THE GWYDIR.

We were all delighted however to meet such an obstruction, and I chose a favourable spot for our camp within a bend of the river; and I made arrangements for bringing forward the party left with Mr. White on the Gwydir, also for the construction of a boat by preparing a saw-pit and looking for wood favourable for that purpose.  There was abundance of rich grass along the banks of this river; and here our horses at length enjoyed some days of rest.

January 24.

Early this morning I sent back a party of the men, with the freshest of the bullocks to Mr. White, to whom I also enclosed a letter for Mr. Finch which I requested might be concealed in a tree with certain marks.  I hoped however that by that time Mr. Finch might have overtaken Mr. White’s party.  Four men remained with me, namely two carpenters, a sawyer’s man, and my own servant.  The morning was cloudy, and a refreshing shower fell at nine A.M.

ABUNDANCE OF THREE KINDS OF FISH.

We soon found that this river contained fish in great abundance, and of three kinds at least:  namely first, a firm but coarse-tasted fish, having strong scales; this made a groaning noise when on the hook:* secondly, the fish we had found in the Peel, commonly called by the colonists the cod, although most erroneously, since it has nothing whatever to do with malacopterygious fishes:** and thirdly, the eel-fish, which we had caught at the lagoon near Tangulda.***

(Footnote.  Family, Percidae; Genus, Acerina; Subgenus, Cernua, Flem. or Ruffe; Species, Cernua bidyana mihi, or Bidyan ruffe.  Colour, brownish yellow, with the belly silvery white.  The three middle pectoral rays are branched.  The dorsals confluent.  The first dorsal fin has 11 spines, the ventrals having 1 + 6 rays, and the anals 3 + 6.  See Plate 9.  Observation:  Bidyan is the aboriginal name.)