Arbuthnot’s range.

Mr. Hume had been one day on Mount Harris, and while there, had laid his compass on a large rock, near to which Mr. Oxley’s boat had been burnt.  To his surprise, he found the needle affected; and his bearings were all wrong.  I subsequently went up to ascertain the extent of the error produced, and found it precisely the same as Mr. Hume noticed.  When I placed the compass on the rock, Mount Foster bore from me N. by W., the true bearing of the one hill from the other being N.N.W.  My placing my notebook under the compass did not alter the effect, nor did the card move until I raised the instrument a couple of feet above the stone, when it first became violently agitated, and then settled correctly; and my bearings of the highest parts of Arbuthnot’s Range, and of its centre, were as follows: 

Mount Exmouth to the N ......  N. 86 E.
Centre.......................  N. 85 E.
Vernon’s Peak................  N. 89 E.
Distance 70 miles.

Having finished my reports and letters, it became necessary to consider the best point on which to move, and to fix a day for our departure from Mount Harris.  It struck me that having found so important a feature as the Darling River, the Governor would approve my endeavouring to regain it more to the southward, in order to trace it down.  I, therefore, detached Mr. Hume to survey the country in that direction, and to ascertain if a descent upon the Bogen district would be practicable, through which I had been informed a considerable river forced itself.  The report he made on his return was such as to deter me from that attempt, but he stated that the country for 30 miles from the Macquarie was well watered, and superior to any he had passed over during the journey; beyond that distance, it took up the character of the remote interior, and alternated with plains and brush, the soil being too sandy to retain water on its surface.  He saw some hills from the extremity of his journey, bearing by compass W.S.W.  We consequently determined to make for the Castlereagh, agreeably to our instructions.  Preparations were made for breaking up the camp, all the various arrangements in the change of animals were completed, the boat carriage was exchanged for a dray, and I took Boyle in the place of Norman, whose timidity in the bush rendered him unfit for service.

Circuit of the great marshes.

There is a small hill on the opposite side of the river, and immediately facing Mount Harris, and to the S.E. of it there is a small lagoon, the head of a creek, by means of which its superfluous waters are carried off.  This creek runs parallel to the river for about ten miles, and enters the marshes at the S.E. angle.  This I ascertained one day in riding to carry on my survey of the southern extremity of the marshes, and to join my line of route by making the circuit of that part of them.  I found that the river was turned to its northerly course by a