There was a small wood to our left which Mr. Hume endeavoured to gain, but he failed in the attempt.  He did, however, reach a tree that was sufficiently high to give him a full view of the marsh, which appeared to extend in every direction, but more particularly to the north, for many miles.  We were, however, at fault, and I really felt at a loss what step to take.  I should have been led to believe from the extreme flatness of the country, that the Macquarie would never assume its natural shape, but from the direction of the marshes I could not but indulge a hope that it would meet the Castlereagh, and that their united waters might form a stream of some importance.  Under this impression I determined on again sending Mr. Hume to the N.E. in order to ascertain the nature of the country in that direction.

Excursion to the north-west.

The weather was excessively hot, and as my men were but slowly recovering, I was anxious while those who were in health continued active, to give the others a few days of rest.  I proposed, therefore, to cross the river, and to make an excursion into the interior, during the probable time of Mr. Hume’s absence; since if, as I imagined, the Macquarie had taken a permanent northerly course, I should not have an opportunity of examining the distant western country.  Mr. Hume’s experience rendered it unnecessary for me to give him other than general directions.

A plain on fire.

On the last day of the year we left the camp, each accompanied by two men.  I had the evening previously ordered the horses I intended taking with me across the channel, and at an early hour of the morning I followed them.  Getting on a plain, immediately after I had disengaged myself from the reeds on the opposite side of the river, which was full of holes and exceedingly treacherous for the animals, I pushed on for a part of the wood Mr. Hume had endeavoured to gain from the boat, with the intention of keeping near the marsh.  On entering it, I found myself in a thick brush of eucalypti, casuarinae and minor trees; the soil under them being mixed with sand.  I kept a N.N.W. course through it, and at the distance of three miles from its commencement, ascended a tree, to ascertain if I was near the marshes; when I found that I was fast receding from them.  I concluded, therefore, that my conjecture as to their direction was right, and altered my course to N.W., a direction in which I had observed a dense smoke arising, which I supposed had been made by some natives near water.  At the termination of the brush I crossed a barren sandy plain, and from it saw the smoke ascending at a few miles’ distance from me.  Passing through a wood, at the extremity of the plain, I found myself at the outskirts of an open space of great extent, almost wholly enveloped in flames.  The fire was running with incredible rapidity through the rhagodia shrubs with which it was covered.  Passing