586 ANJ^UAL REGISTER, 1818. 



precedented, when the single 

 nature of the river is considered, 

 and that its original is its only 

 supply of water during that dis- 

 tance. 



" Crossing at this point, it was 

 my intention to take a N. E. 

 course to intersect the country, 

 and, if possible, ascertain what 

 had become of the Macquarie 

 River, which it was clear had 

 never joined the Lachlan. This 

 course led us through a country 

 to the full as bad as any we had 

 yet seen, and equally devoid of 

 water, the want of which again 

 much distressed us. On the 7th 

 August the scene began to change, 

 and the country to assume a very 

 different aspect ; we were now 

 quitting the neighbourhood of 

 the Lachlan, and had passed to 

 the N. E. of the high range of 

 hills which on this parallel bounds 

 the low country to the north of 

 that river. To the N. W. and 

 N. the country was high and open, 

 with good forest land; and on the 

 10th, we had the satisfaction to 

 fall in with the first stream run- 

 ning northerly. This renewed our 

 hopes of soon falling in with the 

 Macquarie, and we continued 

 upon the same course, occasion- 

 ally inclining to the eastward 

 until the 19th, passing through a 

 fine luxuriant country, well 

 ■watered, crossing in that space of 

 time nine streams, having a 

 northerly course through rice 

 valleys, the country in every 

 direction being moderately high 

 and open, and generally as fine as 

 can be imagined. 



" No doubt remained upon our 

 minds that those streams fell 

 into the Macquarie, and to view 

 it before it received such an ac- 



cession was our first wish. On 

 the 19th we were gratified by 

 falling in with a river running 

 through a most beautiful country, 

 and which I should have been 

 well contented to have believed 

 the river we were in search of. 

 Accident led us down this stream 

 about a mile, when we were sur- 

 prised by its junction with a river 

 coming from the south, of such 

 width and magnitude as to dispel 

 all doubts as to this last being 

 the river we had so long anxious- 

 ly looked for. Short as our re- 

 sources were, we could not resist 

 the temptation this beautiful 

 country offered us to remain two 

 days on the junction of the rivers, 

 for the purpose of examining the 

 vicinity to as great an extent as 

 possible. 



" Our examination increased 

 the satisfaction we had previously 

 felt ; as far as the eye could reach 

 in every direction a rich and 

 picturesque country extended, 

 abounding in limestone, slate, 

 good timber, and every other re- 

 quisite that could render an un- 

 cultivated country desirable. The 

 soil cannot be excelled ; whilst a 

 noble river of the first magnitude 

 afforded the means of conveying 

 its productions from one part to 

 the other. Where I quitted it, 

 its course was northerly, and we 

 were then north of the parallel of 

 Port Stephens, being in latitude 

 32° 45' S. and 148° 58' E. longi- 

 tude. 



" It appeared to me that the 

 Macquarie had taken a N. N. W. 

 course from Bathurst, and that 

 it must have received immense 

 accessions of water in its course 

 from that place. We viewed it 

 at a period best calculated to 



form 



