prevent their becoming swampy during the rainy season.  They are from nine to twelve miles in length, and from five to seven in breadth, and although large masses of sandstone are scattered over them, a blue secondary limestone composes the general bed of the river, that was darker in colour and more compact than I had remarked the same kind of rock, either at Wellington Valley, or in the Shoal Haven Gully.  I have no doubt that Yass Plains will ere long be wholly taken up as sheep-walks, and that their value to the grazier will in a great measure counterbalance its distance from the coast, or, more properly speaking, from the capital.  Sheep I should imagine would thrive uncommonly well upon these plains, and would suffer less from distempers incidental to locality and to climate, than in many parts of the colony over which they are now wandering in thousands.  And if the plains themselves do not afford extensive arable tracts, there is, at least, sufficient good land near the river to supply the wants of a numerous body of settlers.

Hospitality of Mr. O’BRIEN.

We left Mr. O’Brien’s station on the morning of the 21st, and, agreeably to his advice, determined on gaining the Morumbidgee, by a circuit to the N.W., rather than endanger the safety of the drays by entering the mountain passes to the westward.  Mr. O’Brien, however, would not permit us to depart from his dwelling without taking away with us some further proofs of his hospitality.  The party had pushed forward before I, or Mr. M’Leay, had mounted our horses; but on overtaking it, we found that eight fine wethers had been added to our stock of animals.

Hill of Pouni; aspect of the country.

To the W.N.W. of Yass Plains there is a remarkable hill, called Pouni, remarkable not so much on account of its height, as of its commanding position.  It had, I believe, already been ascended by one of the Surveyor-general’s assistants.  The impracticability of the country to the south of it, obliged us to pass under its opposite base, from which an open forest country extended to the northward.  We had already recrossed the Yass River, and passed Mr. Barber’s station, to that of Mr. Hume’s father, at which we stopped for a short time.  Both farms are well situated, the latter I should say, romantically so, it being immediately under Pouni, the hill we have noticed.  The country around both was open, and both pasture and water were abundant.

Mr. O’Brien had been kind enough to send one of the natives who frequented his station to escort us to his more advanced station upon the Morumbidgee.  Had it not been for the assistance we received from this man, I should have had but little leisure for other duties:  as it was however, there was no fear of the party going astray.  This gave M’Leay and myself an opportunity of ascending Pouni, for the purpose of taking bearings; and how ever warm