Soon after passing this hill, the whale-boat struck upon a line of sunken rocks, but fortunately escaped without injury.  Mulholland, who was standing in the bow, was thrown out of her, head foremost, and got a good soaking, but soon recovered himself.  The composition of the rock was iron-stone, and it is the first formation that occurs westward of the dividing range.  We noticed a few cypresses in the distance, but the general timber was dwarf-box, or flooded-gum, and a few of the acacia longa scattered at great distances.  In verifying our position by some lunars, we found ourselves in 142 degrees 46 minutes 30 seconds of east long., and in lat. 35 degrees 25 minutes 15 seconds S. the mean variation of the compass being 4 degrees 10 minutes E. it appearing that we were decreasing the variation as we proceeded westward.

On the 13th, we passed the first running stream that joins the Morumbidgee, in a course of more than 340 miles.  It came from the S.E., and made a visible impression on the river at the junction, although in tracing it up, it appeared to be insignificant in itself.  The circumstance of these tributaries all occurring on the left, evidenced the level nature of the country to the north.  In the afternoon, we passed a dry creek also from the S.E. which must at times throw a vast supply of water into the river, since for many miles below, the latter preserved a breadth of 200 feet, and averaged from 12 to 20 feet in depth, with banks of from 15 to 18 feet in height.  Yet, notwithstanding its general equality of depth, several rapids occurred, down which the boats were hurried with great velocity.  The body of water in the river continued undiminished, notwithstanding its increased breadth of channel; for which reason I should imagine that it is fed by springs, independently of other supplies.  Some few cypresses were again observed, and the character of the distant country resembled, in every particular, that of the interior between the Macquarie and the Darling.  The general appearance of the Morumbidgee, from the moment of our starting on the 13th, to a late hour in the afternoon, had been such as to encourage my hopes of ultimate success in tracing it down; but about three o’clock we came to one of those unaccountable and mortifying changes which had already so frequently excited my apprehension.  Its channel again suddenly contracted, and became almost blocked up with huge trees, that must have found their way into it down the creeks or junctions we had lately passed.  The rapidity of the current increasing at the same time, rendered the navigation perplexing and dangerous.  We passed reach after reach, presenting the same difficulties, and were at length obliged to pull up at 5 p.m., having a scene of confusion and danger before us that I did not dare to encounter with the evening’s light; for I had not only observed that the men’s eye-sight failed them as the sun descended, and that they mistook shadows for objects under water, and Vice-versa,