DISCOVERY OF THE VICTORIA.
Our preparations were rapidly made, a few days provisions were stowed away in the boat, and as the western sky glowed red in the expiring light of day, the gig was running before a north-west breeze, for the chasm in the distant high land, bearing South 20 degrees East, twelve miles from the ship. As we advanced, the separations in the range became more marked and distinct, as long as the light served us, but presently darkness wrapped all in impenetrable mystery. Still we ran on keeping close to the eastern low land, and just as we found that the course we held no longer appeared to follow the direction of the channel, out burst the moon above the hills in all its glory, shedding a silvery stream of light upon the water, and revealing to our anxious eyes the long looked-for river, rippling and swelling, as it forced its way between high rocky ranges. Under any circumstances the discovery would have been delightful, but the time, the previous darkness, the moon rising and spreading the whole before us like a panorama, made the scene so unusually exciting, that I forbear any attempt to describe the mingled emotions of that moment of triumph. As we ran in between the frowning heights, the lead gave a depth of eighteen and twenty fathoms, the velocity of the stream at the same time clearly showing how large a body of water was pouring through. "This is indeed a noble river!" burst from several lips at the same moment; "and worthy," continued I, "of being honoured with the name of her most gracious majesty the Queen:" which Captain Wickham fully concurred in, by at once bestowing upon it the name of Victoria River.
A glance at the map will show that we have not overrated its importance, or acted hastily in calling it the Victoria; and it must be admitted that as the Murray is to South-eastern Australia, so in value and importance is the great river Victoria, to the opposite side of the continent.
Pursuing our course between the rocky heights, in a south-east direction, the outline of a high peaked hill, standing between two ranges, became visible, appearing, even at that time, so remarkable as to be named Endeavour Hill.* The wind failing, we pushed into a small opening out of the stream, on the right hand, to pass the night.
(*Footnote. Afterwards found to be 690 feet, the highest in the neighbourhood.)
VIEW FROM LEADING HILL.
Anxious to trace further the course of the river, Captain Wickham and myself ascended the top of a neighbouring hill before early dawn. The view which presented itself when the day broke, was fraught with every charm of novelty. A rapid stream passing between barren rocky heights, here stealing along in calm silence, there eddying and boiling as it swept past, lay at our feet. By a sudden bend two miles east of where we stood, it was hid from our view; the ranges overlapping, however, still pointed out the further course of the Victoria. The boat lay in the mouth of a creek, which communicating with another four miles further down, formed an island on the eastern side of the river, which we called Entrance Isle.
The formation of this part was a sandstone of a reddish hue, and in a state of decomposition. A wiry grass and the never-failing eucalyptus were sparingly scattered over the face of the country, which round the entrance had a most unpromising and dreary appearance, showing at a glance its utterly sterile character.
EXPLORATION OF THE RIVER.
Taking a hasty breakfast, we pulled up the river; the tortuous nature of the first reaches, changing their directions suddenly from north to east-south-east with a depth of seventeen and twenty fathoms, produces violent eddies and whirlpools. Passing these, a splendid sheet of water lay before us, trending south-east by south, as far as the eye could reach from the boat, and more than a mile wide. In the first part of this we had a few shoal casts of the lead, but afterwards the depth was eight and ten fathoms, it being near low-water. In order to catch a glance at what was beyond, and to spell the oars, we landed at a point on the east side, from which Endeavour Hill bore West 1/2 South three miles. Here the river, by taking a slight turn more to the southward, was again lost sight of. We were sorry to perceive that it was much occupied by shoals, that showed themselves at this time of tide. The first began five miles beyond our station, commencing from abreast of a rugged ridge, on the west bank. The singular manner in which the blocks of sandstone were strewed over this height, caused it to bear a strong resemblance to old ruins. The appearance of the country had not as yet improved, though the sandstone had lost that reddish hue we had noticed in the morning, while preserving the very marked dip to the south-east.