fall of tide, but could arrive at no satisfactory conclusion, although there was undoubtedly a current in it.  Yet, as I stood upon its banks at sunset, when not a breath of air existed to break the stillness of the waters below me, and saw their surface kept in constant agitation by the leaping of fish, I doubted whether the river could supply itself so abundantly, and the rather imagined, that it owed such abundance, which the pelicans seemed to indicate was constant, to some mediterranean sea or other.  Where, however, were the human inhabitants of this distant and singular region?  The signs of a numerous population were around us, but we had not seen even a solitary wanderer.  The water of the river was not, by any means, so salt as that of the ocean, but its taste was precisely similar.  Could it be that its unnatural state had driven its inhabitants from its banks?

One would have imagined that our perplexities would have been sufficient for one day, but ere night closed, they increased upon us, although our anxiety, with regard to the cattle, was happily removed.  Mr. Hume with his usual perseverance, walked out when the camp was formed; and, at a little distance from it, ascended a ridge of pure sand, crowned with cypresses.  From this, he descended to the westward, and, at length, struck upon the river, where a reef of rocks creased its channel, and formed a dry passage from one side to the other; but the bend, which the river must have taken, appeared to him so singular, that he doubted whether it was the same beside which we had been travelling during the day.  Curiosity led him to cross it, when he found a small pond of fresh water on a tongue of land, and, immediately afterwards, returned to acquaint me with the welcome tidings.  It was too late to move, but we had, at least, the prospect of a comfortable breakfast in the morning.

Junction of new year’s creek.

In consequence of the doubts that hung upon Mr. Hume’s mind, as to the course of the river, we arranged that the animals should precede us to the fresh water; and that we should keep close in upon the stream, to ascertain that point.  After traversing a deep bight, we arrived nearly as soon as the party, at the appointed rendezvous.  The rocks composing the channel of the river at the crossing place, were of indurated clay.  In the course of an hour, the animals appearing quite refreshed, we proceeded on our journey, and at about four miles crossed New Year’s Creek, at its junction with the salt river.  We passed several parts of the main channel that were perfectly dry, and were altogether at a loss to account for the current we undoubtedly had observed in the river when we first came upon it.  At midday D’Urban’s Group bore S. 65 E. distant about 32 miles.  We made a little westing in the afternoon.  The river continued to maintain its character and appearance, its lofty banks, and its long still reaches:  while, however, the blue-gum trees upon its banks were of magnificent size, the soil had but little vegetation upon it, although an alluvial deposit.