Reach the lachlan.

Travelling four miles more across level forest land, we reached the banks of the Lachlan at Waagan,* a cattle station a mile and a half below the junction of Byrne’s creek of Oxley, which we had just traced in its course from Buree.

(Footnote.  Waagan means a crow in the native language.)

Find its channel dry.

I beheld in the Lachlan all the features of the Darling, but on a somewhat smaller scale.  The same sort of large gumtrees, similar steep, soft, muddy banks; and, even in this place, a margin with an outer bank.  But its waters were gone, except in a few small ponds in the very deepest parts of its bed.  Such was now the state of that river down which my predecessor’s boats had floated.  I had during the last winter drawn my whaleboats 1600 miles overland without finding a river where I could use them; whereas Mr. Oxley had twice retired by nearly the same routes, and in the same season of the year, from supposed inland seas!

CHAPTER 3.2.

Continue the journey. 
Acacia pendula. 
Ascend Mount Amyot. 
Field’s Plains. 
Cracks in the surface. 
Ascend Mount Cunningham. 
Mr. Oxley’s tree. 
Rain. 
Goobang Creek. 
Large fishes. 
Heavy rain. 
Ascend Mount Allan. 
Natives from the Bogan. 
Prophecy of a Coradje. 
Poisoned waterhole. 
Ascend Hurd’s Peak. 
Snake and bird. 
Ride to Mount Granard. 
Scarcity of water there. 
View from the summit. 
Encamp there. 
Ascend Bolloon, a hill beyond the Lachlan. 
Natives refuse to eat emu. 
Native dog. 
Kalingalungaguy. 
Mr. Stapylton overtakes the party. 
Of the plains in general. 
Character of the Goobang and Bogan. 
Cudjallagong or Regent’s Lake. 
Nearly dry. 
Dead trees in it. 
Rocks near it. 
Trap and tuff. 
Natives there. 
Women. 
Men. 
Their account of the country lower down. 
Oolawambiloa. 
Gaiety of the natives. 
Colour light. 
Mr. Stapylton surveys the lake. 
Campbell’s Lake. 
Piper obtains a gin. 
Ascend Goulburn range. 
View from the summit. 
Warranary. 
A new Correa.

Continue the journey.

March 25.

Following the direction of the general course of the Lachlan as laid down by Mr. Oxley we crossed a fine tract of open forest land, and at the distance of five miles arrived at a dry reach.  Soon after we passed Billabugan, a cattle station on the river where the dry branch joined it; and at three miles further we traversed the southern skirts of a plain, and finally made a bend of the Lachlan on which we encamped in latitude 33 degrees 24 minutes 28 seconds South.  In the course of this day’s journey we discovered a bush resembling the European dwarf elder but with yellow flowers, and fruit with scarcely any pulp.*