LATE ALLAN CUNNINGHAM, ESQ. 317 



ed forest, but slightly elevated above the mean level of the 

 Downs, upon effecting fifteen miles they halted at a chain of 

 small ponds, furnishing on their margin some tolerable grass 

 for their horses. On the 18th, the party reached a marshy 

 plain, which appeared to stretch several miles to the base of 

 a lofty range of mountains at east, from whence ran a brisk 

 creek to the westward. After penetrating for about six miles 

 through an uninteresting forest of red gum, [Eucalyptus ro- 

 busta) they at length reached the confines of a broken and 

 mountainous country, exhibiting a geological character not 

 previously met with in any stage of the journey. The rock 

 was a very hard granite, in which the quartz, greatly prepon- 

 derating, was unusually large. Their journeying to the end 

 of the month was through a country of a most impracticable 

 nature, composed of a series of glens and ridges of a most 

 rugged description, through which they had extreme difficul- 

 ty in leading their wearied packhorses. On the 30th, they 

 reached the banks of the Dumaresq River, about fifty miles 

 nearer its source than where they crossed it on their outward 

 bound tract. The height of the river was 1040 feet above 

 the level of the sea, showing a mean fall of four feet per 

 mile between the two fords. The precipitous character of 

 the country in a southerly direction, apparently continuing 

 to some distance, induced Mr Cunningham to alter his 

 course to the south-west, in the hopes of gaining a more easy 

 route for his horses to travel over. On the 9th of July, 

 they crossed their outward tract in lat. 29^ 30' S., and the 

 next day (lOth), came on the banks of a large stream which 

 received the name of the Gwydir. On the 16tb, they reached 

 the ridges overlooking a level wooded country, extending ap- 

 parently to Liverpool Plains, and where they experienced 

 extreme difficulty in descending with their weakened pack- 

 horses to the level of those vast plains, a descent of about 

 1200 feet; however, by great precaution, this was accomplished 

 in safety, after a journey of two hours of great anxiety, and 

 then with a quickened pace, they prosecuted their course 

 southerly through a forest-ground abounding in kangaroos. 



