June 25.
The country we passed over this day was upon the whole richer in point of grass than any we had seen since we left Sydney; I therefore suspected that the soil had some better rock for a basis than sandstone; and I had reason to believe that it was limestone, from indications of subsidence which I observed on the surface.
CURIOUS CHARACTER OF AN ORIGINAL SURFACE.
We had discovered no similar country during either of the two former journeys. There were none of the acacia trees we had seen on the lower Bogan; while the grasses were also different from any of those on the Darling. A fine new species of Daviesia, very like a Grevillea and forming a most singular bush, grew here. It had no leaves, but green branches formed into short, broad, thick vertical plates arranged spirally, and much lower than the little axillary clusters of flowers which were just beginning to open.* We also met with bushes of the rare Trymalium majoranaefolium, a hoary bush with clusters of small grey flowers, enclosed when young in a bright, large membranous involucre. Once or twice distant rows of lofty gumtrees appeared to indicate the line of the river; but on approaching them we found either dry hollows or the same ana-branch, as it seemed, on which we last encamped. I observed at several places that the more dense box-forests near this branch of the river were skirted with ground broken into low undulations six or eight feet square. These appeared where there was great depth of soil, and were probably caused by deep rents or cracks opened at the first induration of the deposit, and subsequently modified by rain and other atmospheric agents. This seems to be the state of the deep deposits at the present day where, from the absence of trees, the surface of tenacious soils remains visible. I was first struck with this effect in the clays near the Darling where alternate saturation and desiccation seemed to check all vegetation. On the upper parts of the Bogan also I saw these inequalities on a very large scale, but there the hollows still exist under dense forests of casuarinae, and are so deep and extensive that I for some time was induced to examine them in hopes of finding water; but from a small hole or fissure still remaining there I soon learnt that any such search was hopeless.
(*Footnote. D. pectinata, Lindley manuscripts; glabra, aphylla, ramis lateralibus ensiformibus crassis rigidis spinosis verticalibus pectinatim spiralibus dorso decurrentibus racemulis glomeratis multo longioribus.)
When we had travelled some miles, the hill we had seen from the camp on Moonlight creek bore exactly south by compass, and appeared to be about half the distance that it was from us when discovered. At 3 1/2 miles we again came upon the ana-branch; a slight current now appeared in it and the water was tinged with the turbid colour of the main stream.
LAST CAMP ON THE MURRAY.
After winding around several of its turnings we encamped at one P.M. beside a large pool. This day's journey was nearly fourteen miles.
June 26.
The barometer being unusually low, and some long journeys having prevented me from laying down my surveys of the lakes as well as having fatigued the cattle, I halted here with the intention of filling up my maps, refreshing the animals, and reconnoitring the country to the south-west, in which direction a vast extent was unexplored. The river we had endeavoured to trace thus far was now so shut in by ana-branches that it could rarely be seen at all; but I had now brought the survey of it so far upwards that I should be able to trace it, or its several tributaries, downwards upon the same point when returning to the northward, under the western extremities of the Snowy Range. I hoped then also to obtain a better knowledge of the branches composing the Murray than we possessed at this time.