Crossing the lower or outer extremity of this forest ridge, we entered another fine valley watered by a creek which we passed at six miles from the commencement of the day’s journey.  This little channel was grassy to the water’s edge, and its banks were firm and about eight feet high, the course being eastward.  In the valley I saw the Banksia for the first time since we left the Lachlan.  A calamifolia, or needle-leaved wattle, occurred also in considerable quantity.  After crossing two more brooks and some flats of fine land with grassy forest-hills on our right, we reached the crest of a forest-range which afforded an extensive view over the country beyond it.  The surface seemed to be low for some distance, but then to rise gradually towards some rocky points over which were partially seen the summits of a higher range still further southward.

DISCOVER THE LODDON.

The descent to the low country was easy for our carts; and we found there a beautifully green and level flat, bounded on the south by a little river flowing westward.  The banks of this stream consisted of rounded acclivities and were covered with excellent grass.  The bed was 18 or 20 feet below the level of the adjacent flats and, from its resemblance in some respects to the little stream in England, I named it the Loddon.  We encamped on its bank in latitude 36 degrees 36 minutes 49 seconds South, longitude 143 degrees 35 minutes 30 seconds East.

July 9.

By continuing the same line of route we crossed several minor rivulets, all flowing through open grassy vales bounded by finely undulating hills.  At about three miles we came to a deep chain of ponds, the banks being steep and covered with grass.  Keeping a tributary to that channel on our left, we passed some low hills of quartz; and a little beyond them we crossed poor hills of the same rock bearing an open box-forest.

THE WOODS.

After travelling through a little scrub we descended on one of the most beautiful spots I ever saw:  The turf, the woods, and the banks of the little stream which murmured through the vale had so much the appearance of a well kept park that I felt loth to injure its surface by the passage of our cartwheels.  Proceeding for a mile and a half along the rivulet and through a valley wholly of the same description, we at length encamped on a flat of rich earth (nearly quite black) and where the anthisteria grew in greater luxuriance than I had ever before witnessed in Australian grasses.  The earth indeed seemed to surpass in richness any that I had seen in New South Wales; and I was even tempted to bring away a specimen of it.  Our dogs killed three kangaroos, and this good fortune was most timely as I had that very morning thought it advisable to reduce the allowance of rations.

July 10.

Tracing upwards the rivulet of the vale we left this morning we passed over much excellent grassy land watered by it, the channel containing some very deep ponds surrounded by the white-barked eucalyptus.