The course of the river was very tortuous, but still I in vain traced the channel for water, even in the sharpest of its turnings, until long after it was quite dark.  We encamped at length near a small muddy hole discovered with the assistance of our female guide, after having travelled nineteen miles.  I found the latitude of this camp to be 33 degrees 52 minutes 59 seconds, which was so near that of Mr. Oxley’s lowest point according to his book that I concluded we must be close to it.  Fortunately we found some natives at this waterhole who told us that a long while ago white men had been encamped on the opposite side of the Kalare, and that the place where they had marked a tree was not very far distant, but that it had recently been burnt down.  We saw today for the first time on the Kalare the red-top cockatoo (Plyctolophus leadbeateri).

NATIVES’ ACCOUNT OF THE RIVERS LOWER DOWN.

May 4.

This morning it rained and, considering the long journey of yesterday, I gave the cattle rest.  Here the natives again told us of Oolawambiloa, near a great river coming from the north, and only five days’ journey from where we should make the Murrumbidgee.  They also told us that the latter river was joined by another coming from the south before it reached Oolawambiloa.

We had now therefore the direct testimony of the natives that the Darling (for it could be no other) joined the Murray and that the river Lachlan did not lose its channel here as supposed by Mr. Oxley, but that in five days’ journey further we might expect to trace it into the Murrumbidgee.

MR. OXLEY’S LOWEST CAMP ON THE LACHLAN.

May 5.

The ground being very heavy the cattle in the carts proceeded but slowly along the plains to the northward of the Lachlan; and while the party followed Mr. Stapylton I went along the bank with the natives to visit Mr. Oxley’s last camp, which was not above a mile from that we had left.  On my way I crossed a bed of fine gravel, a circumstance the more remarkable, not only because gravel was so uncommon on these muddy plains, but because Mr. Oxley had also remarked that no stone of any kind could be seen within five miles of the place.  This gravel consisted of sand and pebbles of quartz about the size of a pea.  Our female guide, who appeared to be about thirty years of age, remembered the visit of the white men; and she this day showed me the spot where Mr. Oxley’s tent stood, and the root with some remains of the branches of a tree near it which had been burnt down very recently, and on which she said some marks were cut.

SLOW GROWTH OF TREES.